Does SBI Cards and Payment Services (NSE:SBICARD) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

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.

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 SBI Cards and Payment Services (NSE:SBICARD). 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 SBI Cards and Payment Services

How Quickly Is SBI Cards and Payment Services 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. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Over the last three years, SBI Cards and Payment Services has grown EPS by 16% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. It's noted that SBI Cards and Payment Services' revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. While we note SBI Cards and Payment Services achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 38% to ₹122b. That's encouraging news for the company!

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for SBI Cards and Payment Services.

Are SBI Cards and Payment Services Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of SBI Cards and Payment Services, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. Indeed, they hold ₹1.1b worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. While their ownership only accounts for 0.2%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.

It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. For companies with market capitalisations between ₹328b and ₹983b, like SBI Cards and Payment Services, the median CEO pay is around ₹68m.

SBI Cards and Payment Services' CEO took home a total compensation package of ₹8.4m in the year prior to March 2022. That's clearly well below average, so at a glance that arrangement seems generous to shareholders and points to a modest remuneration culture. 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 a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Should You Add SBI Cards and Payment Services To Your Watchlist?

One positive for SBI Cards and Payment Services is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for SBI Cards and Payment Services, but the pleasant picture gets better than that. With a meaningful level of insider ownership, and reasonable CEO pay, a reasonable mind might conclude that this is one stock worth watching. It is worth noting though that we have found 2 warning signs for SBI Cards and Payment Services (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you need to take into consideration.

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.