It’s only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in ‘sexy’ stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. Unfortunately, high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson.
In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Restore (LON:RST), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. In comparison, loss making companies act like a sponge for capital – but unlike such a sponge they do not always produce something when squeezed.
Check out our latest analysis for Restore
Restore’s Earnings Per Share Are Growing.
If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you’d expect a company’s share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS). Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. As a tree reaches steadily for the sky, Restore’s EPS has grown 30% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we’d expect shareholders to come away winners.
I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). Restore maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 18% to UK£209m. That’s a real positive.
The chart below shows how the company’s bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Restore.
Are Restore Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like the kids in the streets standing up for their beliefs, insider share purchases give me reason to believe in a brighter future. That’s because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.
The good news for Restore shareholders is that no insiders reported selling shares in the last year. So it’s definitely nice that Senior Independent Director Sharon Baylay bought UK£5.1k worth of shares at an average price of around UK£2.89.
Should You Add Restore To Your Watchlist?
Given my belief that share price follows earnings per share you can easily imagine how I feel about Restore’s strong EPS growth. The growth rate whets my appetite for research, and the insider buying only increases my interest in the stock. So on this analysis I believe Restore is probably worth spending some time on. Of course, identifying quality businesses is only half the battle; investors need to know whether the stock is undervalued. So you might want to consider this free discounted cashflow valuation of Restore.
The good news is that Restore is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here’s a list of them… with insider buying in the last three months!
Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
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