Do IHH Healthcare Berhad's (KLSE:IHH) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?

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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like IHH Healthcare Berhad (KLSE:IHH), which has not only revenues, but also profits. 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 IHH Healthcare Berhad

IHH Healthcare Berhad's Improving Profits

In the last three years IHH Healthcare Berhad's earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. Outstandingly, IHH Healthcare Berhad's EPS shot from RM0.17 to RM0.34, over the last year. Year on year growth of 97% is certainly a sight to behold.

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. The good news is that IHH Healthcare Berhad is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 4.4 percentage points to 20%, over the last year. 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.

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 IHH Healthcare Berhad.

Are IHH Healthcare Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a RM55b company like IHH Healthcare Berhad. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Indeed, they hold RM93m 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.

Should You Add IHH Healthcare Berhad To Your Watchlist?

IHH Healthcare Berhad's earnings per share have been soaring, with growth rates sky high. That EPS growth certainly is attention grabbing, and the large insider ownership only serves to further stoke our interest. At times fast EPS growth is a sign the business has reached an inflection point, so there's a potential opportunity to be had here. So at the surface level, IHH Healthcare Berhad is worth putting on your watchlist; after all, shareholders do well when the market underestimates fast growing companies. We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for IHH Healthcare Berhad that you should be aware of before investing here.

While opting for stocks without growing earnings and absent insider buying can yield results, for investors valuing these key metrics, here is a carefully selected list of companies in MY with promising growth potential and insider confidence.

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.