We Ran A Stock Scan For Earnings Growth And Scientex Berhad (KLSE:SCIENTX) Passed With Ease

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 are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

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 Scientex Berhad (KLSE:SCIENTX). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Scientex Berhad with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for Scientex Berhad

How Quickly Is Scientex Berhad Increasing Earnings Per Share?

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Scientex Berhad managed to grow EPS by 6.0% per year, over three years. While that sort of growth rate isn't anything to write home about, it does show the business is growing.

It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. While we note Scientex Berhad achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 9.8% to RM4.5b. That's a real positive.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

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 Scientex Berhad.

Are Scientex Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It should give investors a sense of security owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, creating a close alignment their interests. So it is good to see that Scientex Berhad insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth RM929m. Coming in at 13% of the business, that holding gives insiders a lot of influence, and plenty of reason to generate value for shareholders. So there is opportunity here to invest in a company whose management have tangible incentives to deliver.

It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. For companies with market capitalisations between RM4.3b and RM14b, like Scientex Berhad, the median CEO pay is around RM2.5m.

Scientex Berhad's CEO only received compensation totalling RM120k in the year to July 2023. 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. 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 a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Is Scientex Berhad Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One positive for Scientex Berhad is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Scientex Berhad, but the pleasant picture gets better than that. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, you'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. You still need to take note of risks, for example - Scientex Berhad has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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.