For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, ‘Long shots almost never pay off.’
In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO). While that doesn’t make the shares worth buying at any price, you can’t deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.
See our latest analysis for Tractor Supply
How Fast Is Tractor Supply Growing?
As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. We can see that in the last three years Tractor Supply grew its EPS by 13% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up. And for those who like the finer details, I’ll add that the EPS growth has been helped by share buybacks, demonstrating that the business is positioned to return capital to its shareholders.
I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company’s growth. Tractor Supply maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 5.6% to US$8.4b. That’s progress.
The chart below shows how the company’s bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.
In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of Tractor Supply’s forecast profits?
Are Tractor Supply Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Since Tractor Supply has a market capitalization of US$9.8b, we wouldn’t expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. With a whopping US$50m worth of shares as a group, insiders have plenty riding on the company’s success. This should keep them focused on creating long term value for shareholders.
Does Tractor Supply Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
As I already mentioned, Tractor Supply is a growing business, which is what I like to see. If that’s not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. That combination appeals to me, for one. So yes, I do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. If you think Tractor Supply might suit your style as an investor, you could go straight to its annual report, or you could first check our discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation for the company.
Although Tractor Supply certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you’re looking for.
Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.
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