Here's Why United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM) Has Caught The Eye Of Investors

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. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in United States Lime & Minerals (NASDAQ:USLM). While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.

Check out our latest analysis for United States Lime & Minerals

How Quickly Is United States Lime & Minerals Increasing Earnings Per Share?

Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. To the delight of shareholders, United States Lime & Minerals has achieved impressive annual EPS growth of 39%, compound, over the last three years. While that sort of growth rate isn't sustainable for long, it certainly catches the eye of prospective investors.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. The good news is that United States Lime & Minerals is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 8.4 percentage points to 37%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

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.

While it's always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check United States Lime & Minerals' balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.

Are United States Lime & Minerals Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's a necessity that company leaders act in the best interest of shareholders and so insider investment always comes as a reassurance to the market. Shareholders will be pleased by the fact that insiders own United States Lime & Minerals shares worth a considerable sum. Indeed, they hold US$41m worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. While their ownership only accounts for 1.0%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.

While it's always good to see some strong conviction in the company from insiders through heavy investment, it's also important for shareholders to ask if management compensation policies are reasonable. Well, based on the CEO pay, you'd argue that they are indeed. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to United States Lime & Minerals, with market caps between US$2.0b and US$6.4b, is around US$6.6m.

United States Lime & Minerals offered total compensation worth US$5.8m to its CEO in the year to December 2023. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Should You Add United States Lime & Minerals To Your Watchlist?

United States Lime & Minerals' earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. The sweetener is that insiders have a mountain of stock, and the CEO remuneration is quite reasonable. The strong EPS improvement suggests the businesses is humming along. United States Lime & Minerals certainly ticks a few boxes, so we think it's probably well worth further consideration. Still, you should learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with United States Lime & Minerals.

While opting for stocks without growing earnings and absent insider buying can yield results, for investors valuing these key metrics, here is a carefully selected list of companies in the US with promising growth potential and insider confidence.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.