Stock Analysis

If EPS Growth Is Important To You, PC Partner Group (HKG:1263) Presents An Opportunity

SEHK:1263
Source: Shutterstock

It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like PC Partner Group (HKG:1263). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

Our analysis indicates that 1263 is potentially undervalued!

PC Partner Group's Improving Profits

In the last three years PC Partner Group's earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. So it would be better to isolate the growth rate over the last year for our analysis. Outstandingly, PC Partner Group's EPS shot from HK$2.96 to HK$5.79, over the last year. It's a rarity to see 96% year-on-year growth like that. The best case scenario? That the business has hit a true inflection point.

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. The good news is that PC Partner Group is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 7.8 percentage points to 19%, over the last year. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.

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.

earnings-and-revenue-history
SEHK:1263 Earnings and Revenue History November 8th 2022

Since PC Partner Group is no giant, with a market capitalisation of HK$1.7b, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.

Are PC Partner Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Theory would suggest that it's an encouraging sign to see high insider ownership of a company, since it ties company performance directly to the financial success of its management. So as you can imagine, the fact that PC Partner Group insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. In fact, they own 49% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. This should be a welcoming sign for investors because it suggests that the people making the decisions are also impacted by their choices. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at HK$857m at the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!

Is PC Partner Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?

PC Partner Group's earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. That sort of growth is nothing short of eye-catching, and the large investment held by insiders should certainly brighten the view of the company. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. Based on the sum of its parts, we definitely think its worth watching PC Partner Group very closely. However, before you get too excited we've discovered 2 warning signs for PC Partner Group that you should be aware of.

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 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.