Should You Be Adding ICICI Lombard General Insurance (NSE:ICICIGI) To Your Watchlist Today?

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. 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 ICICI Lombard General Insurance (NSE:ICICIGI). 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 our latest analysis for ICICI Lombard General Insurance

How Fast Is ICICI Lombard General Insurance Growing?

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) outcomes. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. It certainly is nice to see that ICICI Lombard General Insurance has managed to grow EPS by 23% per year over three years. If growth like this continues on into the future, then shareholders will have plenty to smile about.

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 ICICI Lombard General Insurance's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. The good news is that ICICI Lombard General Insurance is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.7 percentage points to 15%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

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.

While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for ICICI Lombard General Insurance?

Are ICICI Lombard General Insurance Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a ₹905b company like ICICI Lombard General Insurance. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. To be specific, they have ₹1.9b worth of shares. 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? Well, based on the CEO pay, you'd argue that they are indeed. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like ICICI Lombard General Insurance, with market caps over ₹701b, is about ₹94m.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance's CEO took home a total compensation package of ₹46m in the year prior to March 2024. That looks like a modest pay packet, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of 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 ICICI Lombard General Insurance Worth Keeping An Eye On?

You can't deny that ICICI Lombard General Insurance has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. If you need more convincing beyond that EPS growth rate, don't forget about the reasonable remuneration and the high insider ownership. This may only be a fast rundown, but the key takeaway is that ICICI Lombard General Insurance is worth keeping an eye on. Even so, be aware that ICICI Lombard General Insurance is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a tailored list of Indian companies which have demonstrated growth backed by significant insider holdings.

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.