We Ran A Stock Scan For Earnings Growth And BLB (NSE:BLBLIMITED) Passed With Ease

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 as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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 BLB (NSE:BLBLIMITED). 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.

Check out the opportunities and risks within the IN Capital Markets industry.

How Fast Is BLB Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

Over the last three years, BLB has grown earnings per share (EPS) at as impressive rate from a relatively low point, resulting in a three year percentage growth rate that isn't particularly indicative of expected future performance. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. BLB's EPS skyrocketed from ₹1.09 to ₹1.40, in just one year; a result that's bound to bring a smile to shareholders. That's a impressive gain of 28%.

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. Our analysis has highlighted that BLB's revenue from operations did not account for all of their revenue in the previous 12 months, so our analysis of its margins might not accurately reflect the underlying business. It was a year of stability for BLB as both revenue and EBIT margins remained have been flat over the past year. While this doesn't ring alarm bells, it may not meet the expectations of growth-minded investors.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

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

Are BLB 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 as you can imagine, the fact that BLB insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. Indeed, with a collective holding of 70%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This makes it apparent they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - a positive for shareholders with a sit and hold strategy. Of course, BLB is a very small company, with a market cap of only ₹1.2b. That means insiders only have ₹877m worth of shares, despite the large proportional holding. That's not a huge stake in absolute terms, but it should help keep insiders aligned with other shareholders.

Is BLB Worth Keeping An Eye On?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into BLB's strong EPS growth. With EPS growth rates like that, it's hardly surprising to see company higher-ups place confidence in the company through continuing to hold a significant investment. On the balance of its merits, solid EPS growth and company insiders who are aligned with the shareholders would indicate a business that is worthy of further research. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for BLB (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you need to be mindful of.

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.