Is Now The Time To Put Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) (SZSE:002595) On Your Watchlist?

It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. 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 Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) (SZSE:002595). 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.

See our latest analysis for Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong)

Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong)'s Earnings Per Share Are 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. Impressively, Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) has grown EPS by 19% per year, compound, in the last three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.

It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 21% to 26%, and revenue is growing. That's great to see, on both counts.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong)?

Are Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So those who are interested in Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. To be exact, company insiders hold 57% of the company, so their decisions have a significant impact on their investments. This makes it apparent they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - a positive for shareholders with a sit and hold strategy. CN¥19b That means they have plenty of their own capital riding on the performance of the business!

It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) with market caps between CN¥14b and CN¥45b is about CN¥1.7m.

Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) offered total compensation worth CN¥918k to its CEO in the year to December 2023. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies and seems pretty reasonable. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.

Should You Add Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) To Your Watchlist?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong)'s strong EPS growth. If you still have your doubts, remember too that company insiders have a considerable investment aligning themselves with the shareholders and CEO pay is quite modest compared to similarly sized companiess. The overarching message here is that Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) has underlying strengths that make it worth a look at. Still, you should learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong).

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 tailored list of Chinese companies which have demonstrated growth backed by significant insider holdings.

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.