Did Northamber plc’s (LON:NAR) Recent Earnings Growth Beat The Trend?

Improvement in profitability and outperformance against the industry can be important characteristics in a stock for some investors. Below, I will assess Northamber plc’s (AIM:NAR) track record on a high level, to give you some insight into how the company has been performing against its historical trend and its industry peers. Check out our latest analysis for Northamber

Could NAR beat the long-term trend and outperform its industry?

I look at the ‘latest twelve-month’ data, which either annualizes the most recent 6-month earnings update, or in some cases, the most recent annual report is already the latest available financial data. This technique enables me to analyze different companies on a similar basis, using the most relevant data points. For Northamber, its latest twelve-month earnings is -£1.0M, which compared to the previous year’s figure, has become less negative. Given that these figures may be fairly short-term thinking, I have estimated an annualized five-year figure for Northamber’s net income, which stands at -£0.7M. This means Northamber has historically performed better than recently, although it seems like earnings are now heading back towards a more favorable position once more.

Additionally, we can assess Northamber’s loss by researching what has been happening in the industry as well as within the company. First, I want to briefly look into the line items. Revenue growth over the past couple of years has been negative at -13.56%. The key to profitability here is to make sure the company’s cost growth is well-managed. Scanning growth from a sector-level, the UK electronic equipment, instruments and components industry has been ramping up average earnings growth of 60.85% in the past year, and a solid 23.53% over the past couple of years. This means whatever uplift the industry is enjoying, Northamber has not been able to gain as much as its average peer.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Companies that incur net loss is always difficult to forecast what will occur going forward, and when. The most valuable step is to assess company-specific issues Northamber may be facing and whether management guidance has consistently been met in the past. I suggest you continue to research Northamber to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

1. Financial Health: Is NAR’s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why we’ve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here.

2. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.