Here's Why We Think Evoqua Water Technologies (NYSE:AQUA) Is Well Worth Watching

It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

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 Evoqua Water Technologies (NYSE:AQUA). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

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How Fast Is Evoqua Water Technologies 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. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Evoqua Water Technologies managed to grow EPS by 5.2% per year, over three years. This may not be setting the world alight, but it does show that EPS is on the upwards trend.

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. EBIT margins for Evoqua Water Technologies remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 19% to US$1.7b. That's encouraging news for the company!

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Evoqua Water Technologies' future EPS 100% free.

Are Evoqua Water Technologies Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of Evoqua Water Technologies, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. Given insiders own a significant chunk of shares, currently valued at US$56m, they have plenty of motivation to push the business to succeed. This would indicate that the goals of shareholders and management are one and the same.

Is Evoqua Water Technologies Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One positive for Evoqua Water Technologies is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. That combination is very appealing. So yes, we do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. Before you take the next step you should know about the 1 warning sign for Evoqua Water Technologies that we have uncovered.

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.