Does Kritika Wires (NSE:KRITIKA) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Kritika Wires (NSE:KRITIKA). 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.

View our latest analysis for Kritika Wires

Kritika Wires' Earnings Per Share Are 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. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. It certainly is nice to see that Kritika Wires has managed to grow EPS by 27% 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. The music to the ears of Kritika Wires shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 0.6% to 2.8% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. That's great to see, on both counts.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Since Kritika Wires is no giant, with a market capitalisation of ₹719m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.

Are Kritika Wires Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Prior to investment, it's always a good idea to check that the management team is paid reasonably. Pay levels around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. For companies with market capitalisations under ₹16b, like Kritika Wires, the median CEO pay is around ₹3.6m.

The Kritika Wires CEO received total compensation of only ₹3.0m in the year to March 2022. This could be considered a token amount, and indicates that the company does not need to use payment to motivate the CEO - that is often a good sign. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.

Should You Add Kritika Wires To Your Watchlist?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Kritika Wires' strong EPS growth. The fast growth bodes well while the very reasonable CEO pay assists builds some confidence in the board. We think that based on its merits alone, this stock is worth watching into the future. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Kritika Wires (at least 3 which are concerning) , and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

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 free list of them here.

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.