Is Now The Time To Put RailTel Corporation of India (NSE:RAILTEL) 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. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like RailTel Corporation of India (NSE:RAILTEL), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

Check out our latest analysis for RailTel Corporation of India

RailTel Corporation of India's 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. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. RailTel Corporation of India managed to grow EPS by 16% per year, over three years. 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. While we note RailTel Corporation of India achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 32% to ₹22b. That's progress.

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.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for RailTel Corporation of India's future EPS 100% free.

Are RailTel Corporation of India Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

As a general rule, it's worth considering how much the CEO is paid, since unreasonably high rates could be considered against the interests of shareholders. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to RailTel Corporation of India, with market caps between ₹33b and ₹133b, is around ₹33m.

The RailTel Corporation of India CEO received total compensation of just ₹8.5m in the year to March 2023. That's clearly well below average, so at a glance that arrangement seems generous to shareholders and points to a modest remuneration culture. 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. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Does RailTel Corporation of India Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One positive for RailTel Corporation of India is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. On top of that, our faith in the board of directors is strengthened by the fact of the reasonable CEO pay. So based on its merits, the stock deserves further research, if not an addition to your watchlist. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for RailTel Corporation of India (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) 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 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.