With EPS Growth And More, Artisan Partners Asset Management (NYSE:APAM) Is Interesting

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 completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.'

In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Artisan Partners Asset Management (NYSE:APAM), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

Check out our latest analysis for Artisan Partners Asset Management

How Fast Is Artisan Partners Asset Management Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

In the last three years Artisan Partners Asset Management's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. Like a falcon taking flight, Artisan Partners Asset Management's EPS soared from US$2.65 to US$3.40, over the last year. That's a impressive gain of 29%.

I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. The good news is that Artisan Partners Asset Management is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 4.2 percentage points to 40%, over the last year. That's great to see, on both counts.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Artisan Partners Asset Management's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.

Are Artisan Partners Asset Management Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

I like company leaders to have some skin in the game, so to speak, because it increases alignment of incentives between the people running the business, and its true owners. So it is good to see that Artisan Partners Asset Management insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. Notably, they have an enormous stake in the company, worth US$161m. I would find that kind of skin in the game quite encouraging, if I owned shares, since it would ensure that the leaders of the company would also experience my success, or failure, with the stock.

Does Artisan Partners Asset Management Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Given my belief that share price follows earnings per share you can easily imagine how I feel about Artisan Partners Asset Management's strong EPS growth. Further, the high level of insider ownership impresses me, and suggests that I'm not the only one who appreciates the EPS growth. So this is very likely the kind of business that I like to spend time researching, with a view to discerning its true value. Even so, be aware that Artisan Partners Asset Management is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is a bit concerning...

You can invest in any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

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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