Is Now The Time To Put SDI Group (LON:SDI) 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.' Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like SDI Group (LON:SDI). 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.

Check out our latest analysis for SDI Group

How Fast Is SDI Group 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. SDI Group's shareholders have have plenty to be happy about as their annual EPS growth for the last 3 years was 51%. While that sort of growth rate isn't sustainable for long, it certainly catches the eye of prospective investors.

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. SDI Group maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 24% to UK£57m. That's encouraging news for the company!

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

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 SDI Group.

Are SDI Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

As a general rule, it's worth considering how much the CEO is paid, since unreasonably high rates could be considered against the interests of shareholders. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like SDI Group with market caps between UK£79m and UK£315m is about UK£564k.

SDI Group offered total compensation worth UK£338k to its CEO in the year to April 2022. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.

Is SDI Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?

SDI Group's earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. Such fast EPS growth prompts the question: has the business reached an inflection point? Meanwhile, the very reasonable CEO pay is a great reassurance, since it points to an absence of wasteful spending habits. It will definitely require further research to be sure, but it does seem that SDI Group has the hallmarks of a quality business; and that would make it well worth watching. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for SDI Group (1 is a bit unpleasant) you should be aware of.

Although SDI Group certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

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.