Does Beta Drugs (NSE:BETA) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone 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.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Beta Drugs (NSE:BETA). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Beta Drugs with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

See our latest analysis for Beta Drugs

How Fast Is Beta Drugs 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. Beta Drugs' shareholders have have plenty to be happy about as their annual EPS growth for the last 3 years was 54%. While that sort of growth rate isn't sustainable for long, it certainly catches the eye of prospective investors.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. Beta Drugs maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 23% to ₹2.6b. That's progress.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.

Beta Drugs isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of ₹13b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are Beta Drugs 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 between ₹8.3b and ₹33b, like Beta Drugs, the median CEO pay is around ₹16m.

The Beta Drugs CEO received ₹12m in compensation for the year ending March 2023. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. 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 Beta Drugs Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Beta Drugs' earnings per share have been soaring, with growth rates sky high. This appreciable increase in earnings could be a sign of an upward trajectory for the company. At the same time the reasonable CEO compensation reflects well on the board of directors. It will definitely require further research to be sure, but it does seem that Beta Drugs has the hallmarks of a quality business; and that would make it well worth watching. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Beta Drugs by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.

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.