Vic Dellovo became the CEO of CSP Inc. (NASDAQ:CSPI) in 2012, and we think it's a good time to look at the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company.
See our latest analysis for CSP
Comparing CSP Inc.'s CEO Compensation With the industry
Our data indicates that CSP Inc. has a market capitalization of US$42m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as US$982k for the year to September 2020. That's a modest increase of 6.4% on the prior year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at US$450k.
On comparing similar-sized companies in the industry with market capitalizations below US$200m, we found that the median total CEO compensation was US$432k. Hence, we can conclude that Vic Dellovo is remunerated higher than the industry median. Furthermore, Vic Dellovo directly owns US$2.9m worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success.
| Component | 2020 | 2019 | Proportion (2020) |
| Salary | US$450k | US$440k | 46% |
| Other | US$532k | US$483k | 54% |
| Total Compensation | US$982k | US$923k | 100% |
Talking in terms of the industry, salary represented approximately 14% of total compensation out of all the companies we analyzed, while other remuneration made up 86% of the pie. According to our research, CSP has allocated a higher percentage of pay to salary in comparison to the wider industry. If non-salary compensation dominates total pay, it's an indicator that the executive's salary is tied to company performance.
CSP Inc.'s Growth
Over the last three years, CSP Inc. has shrunk its earnings per share by 67% per year. It saw its revenue drop 22% over the last year.
Few shareholders would be pleased to read that EPS have declined. This is compounded by the fact revenue is actually down on last year. These factors suggest that the business performance wouldn't really justify a high pay packet for the CEO. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Has CSP Inc. Been A Good Investment?
Since shareholders would have lost about 38% over three years, some CSP Inc. investors would surely be feeling negative emotions. Therefore, it might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously.
In Summary...
As we noted earlier, CSP pays its CEO higher than the norm for similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. Unfortunately, this doesn't look great when you see shareholder returns have been negative over the last three years. Arguably worse, we've been waiting for positive EPS growth for the last three years. Overall, with such poor performance, shareholder's would probably have questions if the company decided to give the CEO a raise.
It is always advisable to analyse CEO pay, along with performing a thorough analysis of the company's key performance areas. We identified 4 warning signs for CSP (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.
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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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About NasdaqGM:CSPI
CSP
Develops and markets IT integration solutions, security products, managed IT services, cloud services, purpose-built network adapters, and cluster computer systems for commercial and defense customers worldwide.
Adequate balance sheet and slightly overvalued.
