Is Now The Time To Put Sun Hung Kai (HKG:86) On Your Watchlist?

It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses.

In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Sun Hung Kai (HKG:86), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

See our latest analysis for Sun Hung Kai

How Quickly Is Sun Hung Kai Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price will eventually follow. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Impressively, Sun Hung Kai has grown EPS by 36% 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 smiling.

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. Not all of Sun Hung Kai's revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers I've used might not be the best representation of the underlying business. While we note Sun Hung Kai's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 38% to HK$3.0b. That's a real positive.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

You don't drive with your eyes on the rear-view mirror, so you might be more interested in this free report showing analyst forecasts for Sun Hung Kai's future profits.

Are Sun Hung Kai Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

For the sake of balance, I do note Sun Hung Kai insiders sold -HK$1.7m worth of shares last year. But this is outweighed by the Yue Jia Chen who spent HK$2.6m buying shares, at an average price of around around HK$3.69.

Should You Add Sun Hung Kai To Your Watchlist?

For growth investors like me, Sun Hung Kai's raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. The growth rate whets my appetite for research, and the insider buying only increases my interest in the stock. So on this analysis I believe Sun Hung Kai is probably worth spending some time on. Still, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Sun Hung Kai .

As a growth investor I do like to see insider buying. But Sun Hung Kai 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.