If EPS Growth Is Important To You, UMS Holdings (SGX:558) Presents An Opportunity

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.

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 UMS Holdings (SGX:558). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide UMS Holdings with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for UMS Holdings

UMS Holdings' Earnings Per Share Are Growing

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 means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Shareholders will be happy to know that UMS Holdings' EPS has grown 23% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.

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. On the one hand, UMS Holdings' EBIT margins fell over the last year, but on the other hand, revenue grew. So it seems the future may hold further growth, especially if EBIT margins can remain steady.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. 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 UMS Holdings.

Are UMS Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Investors are always searching for a vote of confidence in the companies they hold and insider buying is one of the key indicators for optimism on the market. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. However, small purchases are not always indicative of conviction, and insiders don't always get it right.

Belief in the company remains high for insiders as there hasn't been a single share sold by the management or company board members. But the bigger deal is that the Group Financial Controller, Meng Chong Loh, paid S$82k to buy shares at an average price of S$1.09. Purchases like this clue us in to the to the faith management has in the business' future.

Along with the insider buying, another encouraging sign for UMS Holdings is that insiders, as a group, have a considerable shareholding. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth S$164m. Coming in at 18% of the business, that holding gives insiders a lot of influence, and plenty of reason to generate value for shareholders. Very encouraging.

Is UMS Holdings Worth Keeping An Eye On?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into UMS Holdings' strong EPS growth. On top of that, insiders own a significant piece of the pie when it comes to the company's stock, and one has been buying more. These things considered, this is one stock worth watching. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for UMS Holdings you should know about.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of UMS Holdings, you'll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

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.