Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C (DSM:QNNS) Ticks All The Boxes When It Comes To Earnings Growth

The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. 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 Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C (DSM:QNNS), 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.

See our latest analysis for Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C

How Fast Is Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C 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. Impressively, Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C has grown EPS by 24% per year, compound, in the last three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.

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. We note that while EBIT margins have improved from 13% to 17%, the company has actually reported a fall in revenue by 5.1%. That's not a good look.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.

You don't drive with your eyes on the rear-view mirror, so you might be more interested in this free report showing analyst forecasts for Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C's future profits.

Are Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's a necessity that company leaders act in the best interest of shareholders and so insider investment always comes as a reassurance to the market. So it is good to see that Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth ر.ق2.0b. That equates to 18% of the company, making insiders powerful and aligned with other shareholders. Very encouraging.

Does Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C's strong EPS growth. Further, the high level of insider ownership is impressive and suggests that the management appreciates the EPS growth and has faith in Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C's continuing strength. On the balance of its merits, solid EPS growth and company insiders who are aligned with the shareholders would indicate a business that is worthy of further research. While we've looked at the quality of the earnings, we haven't yet done any work to value the stock. So if you like to buy cheap, you may want to check if Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

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.