Stock Analysis

    I Ran A Stock Scan For Earnings Growth And BioSpecifics Technologies (NASDAQ:BSTC) Passed With Ease

    It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.'

    So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like BioSpecifics Technologies (NASDAQ:BSTC). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.

    Check out our latest analysis for BioSpecifics Technologies

    How Quickly Is BioSpecifics Technologies Increasing Earnings Per Share?

    The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so share price follows earnings per share (EPS) eventually. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. It certainly is nice to see that BioSpecifics Technologies has managed to grow EPS by 26% per year over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away winners.

    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. BioSpecifics Technologies shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 70% to 73%, and revenue is growing. That's great to see, on both counts.

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

    NasdaqGM:BSTC Income Statement, February 24th 2020
    NasdaqGM:BSTC Income Statement, February 24th 2020

    While profitability drives the upside, prudent investors always check the balance sheet, too.

    Are BioSpecifics Technologies 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 BioSpecifics Technologies insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. With a whopping US$94m worth of shares as a group, insiders have plenty riding on the company's success. That holding amounts to 20% of the stock on issue, thus making insiders influential, and aligned, owners of the business.

    Is BioSpecifics Technologies Worth Keeping An Eye On?

    Given my belief that share price follows earnings per share you can easily imagine how I feel about BioSpecifics Technologies's strong EPS growth. I think that EPS growth is something to boast of, and it doesn't surprise me that insiders are holding on to a considerable chunk of shares. So this is very likely the kind of business that I like to spend time researching, with a view to discerning its true value. If you think BioSpecifics Technologies 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.

    Although BioSpecifics Technologies certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

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

    If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

    We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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