If You Like EPS Growth Then Check Out Bank of the James Financial Group (NASDAQ:BOTJ) Before It's Too Late

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. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.

In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Bank of the James Financial Group (NASDAQ:BOTJ). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.

View our latest analysis for Bank of the James Financial Group

Bank of the James Financial Group's Earnings Per Share Are Growing.

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so share price follows earnings per share (EPS) eventually. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Impressively, Bank of the James Financial Group has grown EPS by 21% 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 smiling.

I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). I note that Bank of the James Financial Group's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort my analysis of its margins. Bank of the James Financial Group maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 12% to US$35m. That's progress.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

Bank of the James Financial Group isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of US$65m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are Bank of the James Financial Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like the kids in the streets standing up for their beliefs, insider share purchases give me reason to believe in a brighter future. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

We note that Bank of the James Financial Group insiders spent US$200k on stock, over the last year; in contrast, we didn't see any selling. That's nice to see, because it suggests insiders are optimistic. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Lydia Langley for US$20k worth of shares, at about US$9.89 per share.

Is Bank of the James Financial Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?

You can't deny that Bank of the James Financial Group has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. Not only is that growth rate rather juicy, but the insider buying makes my mouth water. To put it succinctly; Bank of the James Financial Group is a strong candidate for your watchlist. Still, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Bank of the James Financial Group .

As a growth investor I do like to see insider buying. But Bank of the James Financial Group isn't the only one. You can see a 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. 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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