Stock Analysis

Do Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy's (HKG:579) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?

SEHK:579
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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. 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. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy (HKG:579). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

View our latest analysis for Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy

How Quickly Is Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy Increasing Earnings Per Share?

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy managed to grow EPS by 12% per year, over three years. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. While we note Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 6.7% to CN¥20b. That's encouraging news for the company!

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:579 Earnings and Revenue History August 8th 2023

While profitability drives the upside, prudent investors always check the balance sheet, too.

Are Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy 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. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy, with market caps between CN¥7.2b and CN¥23b, is around CN¥3.8m.

The Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy CEO received total compensation of just CN¥1.4m in the year to December 2022. That looks like a modest pay packet, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.

Does Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy is that it is growing profits. Not only that, but the CEO is paid quite reasonably, which should prompt investors to feel more trusting of the board of directors. So all in all Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy is worthy at least considering for your watchlist. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy that you need to be mindful 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.

Valuation is complex, but we're helping make it simple.

Find out whether Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy is potentially over or undervalued by checking out our comprehensive analysis, which includes fair value estimates, risks and warnings, dividends, insider transactions and financial health.

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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.