With EPS Growth And More, Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) Makes An Interesting Case

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 currently 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.' Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

Check out our latest analysis for Macquarie Group

How Fast Is Macquarie Group 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) outcomes. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. We can see that in the last three years Macquarie Group grew its EPS by 12% per year. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Not all of Macquarie Group's revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers used in this article might not be the best representation of the underlying business. While we note Macquarie Group achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 19% to AU$18b. That's progress.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Macquarie Group's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.

Are Macquarie Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.

It's good to see Macquarie Group insiders walking the walk, by spending AU$888k on shares in just twelve months. And when you consider that there was no insider selling, you can understand why shareholders might believe that there are brighter days ahead. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Michelle Hinchliffe for AU$382k worth of shares, at about AU$181 per share.

The good news, alongside the insider buying, for Macquarie Group bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth AU$221m. While that is a lot of skin in the game, we note this holding only totals to 0.3% of the business, which is a result of the company being so large. This still shows shareholders there is a degree of alignment between management and themselves.

Is Macquarie Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One positive for Macquarie Group is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. That should do plenty in prompting budding investors to undertake a bit more research - or even adding the company to their watchlists. We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for Macquarie Group that you should be aware of before investing here.

The good news is that Macquarie Group 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.

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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.