Should You Be Adding Advanced Share Registry (ASX:ASW) To Your Watchlist Today?

Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without revenue, let alone profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.'

If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Advanced Share Registry (ASX:ASW). While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.

View our latest analysis for Advanced Share Registry

Advanced Share Registry's Improving Profits

Even modest earnings per share growth (EPS) can create meaningful value, when it is sustained reliably from year to year. So it's no surprise that some investors are more inclined to invest in profitable businesses. Like a firecracker arcing through the night sky, Advanced Share Registry's EPS shot from AU$0.035 to AU$0.06, over the last year. You don't see 68% year-on-year growth like that, very often.

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. I note that, last year, Advanced Share Registry's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue, so that could distort my analysis of its margins. Advanced Share Registry shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 38% to 51%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in my book.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

Since Advanced Share Registry is no giant, with a market capitalization of AU$45m, so you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.

Are Advanced Share Registry Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So we're pleased to report that Advanced Share Registry insiders own a meaningful share of the business. Indeed, with a collective holding of 63%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This makes me think they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - something I like to see. In terms of absolute value, insiders have AU$28m invested in the business, using the current share price. That's nothing to sneeze at!

It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Well, based on the CEO pay, I'd say they are indeed. For companies with market capitalizations under AU$268m, like Advanced Share Registry, the median CEO pay is around AU$404k.

The Advanced Share Registry CEO received total compensation of just AU$181k in the year to . That's clearly well below average, so at a glance, that arrangement seems generous to shareholders, and points to a modest remuneration culture. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when its reasonable that does give me a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Should You Add Advanced Share Registry To Your Watchlist?

Advanced Share Registry's earnings per share have taken off like a rocket aimed right at the moon. The sweetener is that insiders have a mountain of stock, and the CEO remuneration is quite reasonable. The strong EPS improvement suggests the businesses is humming along. Big growth can make big winners, so I do think Advanced Share Registry is worth considering carefully. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Advanced Share Registry , and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

Of course, you can do well (sometimes) buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But as a growth investor I always like to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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