Do Zhaojin Mining Industry's (HKG:1818) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?

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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. 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.

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 Zhaojin Mining Industry (HKG:1818). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Zhaojin Mining Industry with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

See our latest analysis for Zhaojin Mining Industry

Zhaojin Mining Industry's Improving Profits

Over the last three years, Zhaojin Mining Industry has grown earnings per share (EPS) at as impressive rate from a relatively low point, resulting in a three year percentage growth rate that isn't particularly indicative of expected future performance. So it would be better to isolate the growth rate over the last year for our analysis. In impressive fashion, Zhaojin Mining Industry's EPS grew from CN¥0.15 to CN¥0.35, over the previous 12 months. It's a rarity to see 130% year-on-year growth like that.

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. The music to the ears of Zhaojin Mining Industry shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 14% to 26% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

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 Zhaojin Mining Industry's future EPS 100% free.

Are Zhaojin Mining Industry Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Prior to investment, it's always a good idea to check that the management team is paid reasonably. Pay levels around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Zhaojin Mining Industry with market caps between CN¥29b and CN¥87b is about CN¥6.5m.

Zhaojin Mining Industry's CEO only received compensation totalling CN¥355k in the year to December 2023. This total may indicate that the CEO is sacrificing take home pay for performance-based benefits, ensuring that their motivations are synonymous with strong company results. 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. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Does Zhaojin Mining Industry Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Zhaojin Mining Industry's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. 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. So faced with these facts, it seems that researching this stock a little more may lead you to discover an investment opportunity that meets your quality standards. Even so, be aware that Zhaojin Mining Industry is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...

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 Hong Kong 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.