Here's Why We Think Forestar Group (NYSE:FOR) Is Well Worth Watching

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 completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.

In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Forestar Group (NYSE:FOR), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

Check out our latest analysis for Forestar Group

Forestar Group's Earnings Per Share Are Growing.

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price will eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. As a tree reaches steadily for the sky, Forestar Group's EPS has grown 31% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away winners.

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 Forestar Group is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.5 percentage points to 9.6%, over the last year. That's great to see, on both counts.

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.

You don't drive with your eyes on the rear-view mirror, so you might be more interested in this free report showing analyst forecasts for Forestar Group's future profits.

Are Forestar Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

In twelve months, insiders sold -US$42k worth of Forestar Group shares. On the other hand, CFO, Treasurer & Principal Accounting Officer James Allen paid US$74k for shares, at a price of about US$20.65 per share. And that's a reason to be optimistic.

I do like that insiders have been buying shares in Forestar Group, but there is more evidence of shareholder friendly management. I refer to the very reasonable level of CEO pay. For companies with market capitalizations between US$400m and US$1.6b, like Forestar Group, the median CEO pay is around US$2.4m.

The Forestar Group CEO received US$1.6m in compensation for the year ending . That seems pretty reasonable, especially given its below the median for similar sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, 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.

Is Forestar Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?

You can't deny that Forestar Group has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. And that's not the only positive, either. We have both insider buying and reasonable and remuneration to consider. On balance the message seems to be that this stock is worth looking at, at least for a while. You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Forestar Group you should be aware of, and 2 of them make us uncomfortable.

The good news is that Forestar Group is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... 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. 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.
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