Should You Be Adding Acartus (WSE:ACA) To Your Watchlist Today?

Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without revenue, let alone profit. Unfortunately, high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson.

So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Acartus (WSE:ACA). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

View our latest analysis for Acartus

How Quickly Is Acartus Increasing Earnings Per Share?

As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Who among us would not applaud Acartus's stratospheric annual EPS growth of 55%, compound, over the last three years? While that sort of growth rate isn't sustainable for long, it certainly catches my attention; like a crow with a sparkly stone.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Unfortunately, Acartus's revenue dropped 12% last year, but the silver lining is that EBIT margins improved from 0.1% to 11%. That falls short of ideal.

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.

Acartus isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of zł3.7m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are Acartus Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Personally, I like to see high insider ownership of a company, since it suggests that it will be managed in the interests of shareholders. So we're pleased to report that Acartus insiders own a meaningful share of the business. In fact, they own 44% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. I'm always comforted by solid insider ownership like this, as it implies that those running the business are genuinely motivated to create shareholder value. Of course, Acartus is a very small company, with a market cap of only zł3.7m. So despite a large proportional holding, insiders only have zł1.7m worth of stock. That's not a huge stake in absolute terms, but it should help keep insiders aligned with other shareholders.

Does Acartus Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Acartus's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. That EPS growth certainly has my attention, and the large insider ownership only serves to further stoke my interest. At times fast EPS growth is a sign the business has reached an inflection point; and I do like those. So yes, on this short analysis I do think it's worth considering Acartus for a spot on your watchlist. We should say that we've discovered 3 warning signs for Acartus (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Although Acartus certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

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. 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.
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