Here's Why We Think Avro India (NSE:AVROIND) Is Well Worth Watching

It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. But as Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy.

In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Avro India (NSE:AVROIND). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

See our latest analysis for Avro India

How Quickly Is Avro India Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS). Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. I, for one, am blown away by the fact that Avro India has grown EPS by 52% per year, over the last three years. That sort of growth never lasts long, but like a shooting star it is well worth watching when it happens.

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 Avro India's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 22% to ₹652m. That's a real positive.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Avro India isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of ₹1.2b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are Avro India Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. Because oftentimes, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

Like a sturdy phalanx Avro India insiders have stood united by refusing to sell shares over the last year. But the bigger deal is that the Non-Executive Director, Anita Aggarwal, paid ₹4.0m to buy shares at an average price of ₹53.20.

On top of the insider buying, we can also see that Avro India insiders own a large chunk of the company. In fact, they own 83% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. To me this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. Valued at only ₹1.2b Avro India is really small for a listed company. So despite a large proportional holding, insiders only have ₹989m worth of stock. That's not a huge stake in absolute terms, but it should help keep insiders aligned with other shareholders.

While insiders are apparently happy to hold and accumulate shares, that is just part of the pretty picture. The cherry on top is that the CEO, Sahil Aggarwal is paid comparatively modestly to CEOs at similar sized companies. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Avro India with market caps under ₹15b is about ₹3.0m.

The CEO of Avro India was paid just ₹1.2m in total compensation for the year ending . You could consider this pay as somewhat symbolic, which suggests the CEO does not need a lot of compensation to stay motivated. 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. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Should You Add Avro India To Your Watchlist?

Avro India's earnings per share have taken off like a rocket aimed right at the moon. The cherry on top is that insiders own a bunch of shares, and one has been buying more. Because of the potential that it has reached an inflection point, I'd suggest Avro India belongs on the top of your watchlist. Even so, be aware that Avro India is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable...

The good news is that Avro India is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... 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.