Do Focus Lighting and Fixtures' (NSE:FOCUS) 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. 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. 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.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Focus Lighting and Fixtures (NSE:FOCUS), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

See our latest analysis for Focus Lighting and Fixtures

Focus Lighting and Fixtures' Improving Profits

In the last three years Focus Lighting and Fixtures' 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. As a result, we'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. In impressive fashion, Focus Lighting and Fixtures' EPS grew from ₹2.14 to ₹5.25, over the previous 12 months. It's a rarity to see 145% 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 Focus Lighting and Fixtures is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 8.4 percentage points to 20%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

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.

Focus Lighting and Fixtures isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of ₹12b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are Focus Lighting and Fixtures Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So those who are interested in Focus Lighting and Fixtures will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. In fact, they own 75% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. This makes it apparent they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - a positive for shareholders with a sit and hold strategy. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at ₹8.7b at the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!

Is Focus Lighting and Fixtures Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Focus Lighting and Fixtures' earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. This level of EPS growth does wonders for attracting investment, and the large insider investment in the company is just the cherry on top. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. So based on this quick analysis, we do think it's worth considering Focus Lighting and Fixtures for a spot on your watchlist. Even so, be aware that Focus Lighting and Fixtures is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those shouldn't be ignored...

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.