With EPS Growth And More, Weyco Group (NASDAQ:WEYS) Makes An Interesting Case

Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone 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. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Weyco Group (NASDAQ:WEYS). 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.

View our latest analysis for Weyco Group

How Quickly Is Weyco Group 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. Weyco Group managed to grow EPS by 5.8% per year, over three years. This may not be setting the world alight, but it does show that EPS is on the upwards trend.

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. While we note Weyco Group achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 45% to US$319m. That's progress.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

Since Weyco Group is no giant, with a market capitalisation of US$244m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.

Are Weyco Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So as you can imagine, the fact that Weyco Group insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. In fact, they own 40% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. This should be a welcoming sign for investors because it suggests that the people making the decisions are also impacted by their choices. With that sort of holding, insiders have about US$97m riding on the stock, at current prices. That's nothing to sneeze at!

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. For companies with market capitalisations between US$100m and US$400m, like Weyco Group, the median CEO pay is around US$1.7m.

The Weyco Group CEO received US$1.3m in compensation for the year ending December 2021. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar 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.

Does Weyco Group Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One positive for Weyco Group is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The growth of EPS may be the eye-catching headline for Weyco Group, 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. You still need to take note of risks, for example - Weyco Group has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are significant) we think you should know about.

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.