Here's Why We Think Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) Is Well Worth Watching

Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses.

So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Loblaw Companies (TSE:L). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

View our latest analysis for Loblaw Companies

Loblaw Companies's Improving Profits

Even with very modest growth rates, a company will usually do well if it improves earnings per share (EPS) year after year. So it's no surprise that some investors are more inclined to invest in profitable businesses. Loblaw Companies has grown its trailing twelve month EPS from CA$3.04 to CA$3.32, in the last year. That amounts to a small improvement of 9.1%.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Loblaw Companies maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 7.2% to CA$53b. That's a real positive.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. 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 Loblaw Companies's forecast profits?

Are Loblaw Companies Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a CA$25b company like Loblaw Companies. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. To be specific, they have CA$44m worth of shares. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Even though that's only about 0.2% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders.

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. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Loblaw Companies, with market caps over CA$9.7b, is about CA$8.2m.

The Loblaw Companies CEO received total compensation of just CA$3.5m in the year to . That looks like modest pay to me, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Does Loblaw Companies Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Loblaw Companies is that it is growing profits. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Loblaw Companies, but the pretty picture gets better than that. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, I'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Loblaw Companies that you should be aware of.

Although Loblaw Companies 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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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. 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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