If EPS Growth Is Important To You, American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD) Presents An Opportunity

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. 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. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

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

Check out our latest analysis for American Vanguard

American Vanguard's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Over the last three years, American Vanguard has grown EPS by 7.0% per year. While that sort of growth rate isn't anything to write home about, it does show the business is growing.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. The music to the ears of American Vanguard shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 4.4% to 7.3% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

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

In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of American Vanguard's forecast profits?

Are American Vanguard Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It should give investors a sense of security owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, creating a close alignment their interests. Shareholders will be pleased by the fact that insiders own American Vanguard shares worth a considerable sum. Indeed, they hold US$39m worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Those holdings account for over 6.4% of the company; visible skin in the game.

It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like American Vanguard with market caps between US$400m and US$1.6b is about US$4.0m.

American Vanguard offered total compensation worth US$2.5m to its CEO in the year to December 2021. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.

Should You Add American Vanguard To Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of American Vanguard is that it is growing profits. The growth of EPS may be the eye-catching headline for American Vanguard, but there's more to bring joy for shareholders. With company insiders aligning themselves considerably with the company's success and modest CEO compensation, there's no arguments that this is a stock worth looking into. Still, you should learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with American Vanguard.

The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost 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. 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.