Is Now The Time To Put Aflac (NYSE:AFL) On Your Watchlist?

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

View our latest analysis for Aflac

Aflac's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Shareholders will be happy to know that Aflac's EPS has grown 24% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.

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. Our analysis has highlighted that Aflac's revenue from operations did not account for all of their revenue in the previous 12 months, so our analysis of its margins might not accurately reflect the underlying business. While Aflac may have maintained EBIT margins over the last year, revenue has fallen. Suffice it to say that is not a great sign of growth.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

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

Are Aflac Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Aflac has a market capitalisation of US$44b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth US$370m. We note that this amounts to 0.8% of the company, which may be small owing to the sheer size of Aflac but it's still worth mentioning. This should still be a great incentive for management to maximise shareholder value.

Does Aflac Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Aflac's strong EPS growth. Further, the high level of insider ownership is impressive and suggests that the management appreciates the EPS growth and has faith in Aflac's continuing strength. On the balance of its merits, solid EPS growth and company insiders who are aligned with the shareholders would indicate a business that is worthy of further research. Before you take the next step you should know about the 2 warning signs for Aflac (1 is concerning!) 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.