Stock Analysis

If EPS Growth Is Important To You, Maytronics (TLV:MTRN) Presents An Opportunity

TASE:MTRN
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. 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. 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.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Maytronics (TLV:MTRN). 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 Maytronics

How Fast Is Maytronics Growing?

Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Impressively, Maytronics has grown EPS by 31% 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 beaming.

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. While we note Maytronics achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 32% to ₪1.6b. 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.

earnings-and-revenue-history
TASE:MTRN Earnings and Revenue History June 18th 2022

While it's always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check Maytronics' balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.

Are Maytronics 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. For companies with market capitalisations between ₪3.5b and ₪11b, like Maytronics, the median CEO pay is around ₪4.6m.

Maytronics' CEO took home a total compensation package of ₪1.6m in the year prior to December 2021. First impressions seem to indicate a compensation policy that is favourable to shareholders. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Is Maytronics Worth Keeping An Eye On?

You can't deny that Maytronics has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. Strong EPS growth is a great look for the company and reasonable CEO compensation sweetens the deal for investors ass it alludes to management being conscious of frivolous spending. Based on these factors, this stock may well deserve a spot on your watchlist, or even a little further research. We should say that we've discovered 4 warning signs for Maytronics (2 are a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

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.