Tradeweb Markets (NASDAQ:TW) 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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Tradeweb Markets (NASDAQ:TW). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Tradeweb Markets with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

View our latest analysis for Tradeweb Markets

How Fast Is Tradeweb Markets 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. Impressively, Tradeweb Markets has grown EPS by 23% per year, compound, in the last three years. So it's not surprising to see the company trades on a very high multiple of (past) earnings.

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. Not all of Tradeweb Markets' revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers used in this article might not be the best representation of the underlying business. EBIT margins for Tradeweb Markets remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 13% to US$1.3b. That's encouraging news for the company!

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.

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 Tradeweb Markets' future EPS 100% free.

Are Tradeweb Markets Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of Tradeweb Markets, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. As a matter of fact, their holding is valued at US$16m. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Even though that's only about 0.06% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders.

It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Well, based on the CEO pay, you'd argue that they are indeed. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Tradeweb Markets, with market caps over US$8.0b, is about US$12m.

Tradeweb Markets' CEO took home a total compensation package worth US$10m in the year leading up to December 2022. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Is Tradeweb Markets Worth Keeping An Eye On?

You can't deny that Tradeweb Markets has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. If you still have your doubts, remember too that company insiders have a considerable investment aligning themselves with the shareholders and CEO pay is quite modest compared to similarly sized companiess. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to investing but it definitely makes Tradeweb Markets look rather interesting indeed. Another important measure of business quality not discussed here, is return on equity (ROE). Click on this link to see how Tradeweb Markets shapes up to industry peers, when it comes to ROE.

Although Tradeweb Markets certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see companies with insider buying, then check out this handpicked selection of companies that not only boast of strong growth but have also seen recent insider 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.