If EPS Growth Is Important To You, Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd (SZSE:002833) Presents An Opportunity

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 Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd (SZSE:002833). 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.

View our latest analysis for Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd

Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Over the last three years, Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd has grown EPS by 14% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

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. The good news is that Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.8 percentage points to 24%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd's future EPS 100% free.

Are Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd 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 Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. Indeed, with a collective holding of 54%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. Intuition will tell you this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. That level of investment from insiders is nothing to sneeze at.

It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalisations between CN¥2.9b and CN¥12b, like Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd, the median CEO pay is around CN¥963k.

The Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd CEO received CN¥557k in compensation for the year ending December 2022. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. 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. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Should You Add Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd To Your Watchlist?

One positive for Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The growth of EPS may be the eye-catching headline for Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd, but there's more to bring joy for shareholders. With a meaningful level of insider ownership, and reasonable CEO pay, a reasonable mind might conclude that this is one stock worth watching. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Guangzhou KDT MachineryLtd (at least 1 which can't be ignored) , and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

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.