Is Now The Time To Put Gromutual Berhad (KLSE:GMUTUAL) 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. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Gromutual Berhad (KLSE:GMUTUAL), 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.

See our latest analysis for Gromutual Berhad

Gromutual Berhad'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. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. Gromutual Berhad managed to grow EPS by 17% per year, over three years. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it.

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 Gromutual Berhad shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 22% to 30% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

Gromutual Berhad isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of RM118m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are Gromutual Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So those who are interested in Gromutual Berhad will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. In fact, they own 76% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. This makes it apparent they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - a positive for shareholders with a sit and hold strategy. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at RM90m at the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!

While it's always good to see some strong conviction in the company from insiders through heavy investment, it's also important for shareholders to ask if management compensation policies are reasonable. Well, based on the CEO pay, you'd argue that they are indeed. For companies with market capitalisations under RM949m, like Gromutual Berhad, the median CEO pay is around RM498k.

Gromutual Berhad's CEO only received compensation totalling RM2.0k in the year to December 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. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Is Gromutual Berhad Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One positive for Gromutual Berhad is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Gromutual 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 - Gromutual Berhad has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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 tailored list of Malaysian companies which have demonstrated growth backed by recent insider purchases.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.