Do Balchem's (NASDAQ:BCPC) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?

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 currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. 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.

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 Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Balchem with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

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Balchem's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. Balchem managed to grow EPS by 9.8% per year, over three years. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. The good news is that Balchem is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.3 percentage points to 19%, over the last year. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Check out our latest analysis for Balchem

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

Are Balchem Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Balchem has a market capitalisation of US$5.3b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. As a matter of fact, their holding is valued at US$33m. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. While their ownership only accounts for 0.6%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.

It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. For companies with market capitalisations between US$4.0b and US$12b, like Balchem, the median CEO pay is around US$8.7m.

Balchem's CEO took home a total compensation package worth US$5.9m in the year leading up to December 2023. 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 a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Should You Add Balchem To Your Watchlist?

One positive for Balchem is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The growth of EPS may be the eye-catching headline for Balchem, but there's more to bring joy for shareholders. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, you'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. If you think Balchem might suit your style as an investor, you could go straight to its annual report, or you could first check our discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation for the company.

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 tailored list of companies which have demonstrated growth backed by significant insider holdings.

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.