Should You Be Adding Premier Foods (LON:PFD) To Your Watchlist Today?

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.' While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Premier Foods (LON:PFD), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Premier Foods with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for Premier Foods

Premier Foods' 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. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. It certainly is nice to see that Premier Foods has managed to grow EPS by 24% per year over three years. If growth like this continues on into the future, then shareholders will have plenty to smile about.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. While we note Premier Foods achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 12% to UK£1.0b. 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. 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 Premier Foods' future EPS 100% free.

Are Premier Foods 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. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.

Insiders in Premier Foods both added to and reduced their holdings over the preceding 12 months. All in all though, their acquisitions outweighed the amount of shares they sold off. When you weigh that up, it is a mild positive, indicating increased alignment between shareholders and management.

Should You Add Premier Foods To Your Watchlist?

For growth investors, Premier Foods' raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. Not only is that growth rate rather juicy, but the insider buying adds fuel to the fire. To put it succinctly; Premier Foods is a strong candidate for your watchlist. Of course, just because Premier Foods is growing does not mean it is undervalued. If you're wondering about the valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Keen growth investors love to see insider buying. Thankfully, Premier Foods isn't the only one. You can see a a free list of them here.

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.