Does DKSH Holding (VTX:DKSH) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like DKSH Holding (VTX:DKSH). While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.

See our latest analysis for DKSH Holding

DKSH Holding'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 easy to see why many investors focus in on EPS growth. DKSH Holding's EPS shot up from CHF2.82 to CHF3.75; a result that's bound to keep shareholders happy. That's a impressive gain of 33%.

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. DKSH Holding maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 3.0% to CHF11b. That's encouraging news for the company!

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. 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 DKSH Holding.

Are DKSH Holding Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of DKSH Holding, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. To be specific, they have CHF17m worth of shares. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. While their ownership only accounts for 0.3%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.

Does DKSH Holding Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

You can't deny that DKSH Holding has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. This EPS growth rate is something the company should be proud of, and so it's no surprise that insiders are holding on to a considerable chunk of shares. The growth and insider confidence is looked upon well and so it's worthwhile to investigate further with a view to discern the stock's true value. While we've looked at the quality of the earnings, we haven't yet done any work to value the stock. So if you like to buy cheap, you may want to check if DKSH Holding is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.