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.
If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in York Water (NASDAQ:YORW). While profit is not necessarily a social good, it’s easy to admire a business than can consistently produce it. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.
Check out our latest analysis for York Water
York Water’s Improving Profits
Even with very modest growth rates, a company will usually do well if it improves earnings per share (EPS) year after year. So it’s no surprise that some investors are more inclined to invest in profitable businesses. Over twelve months, York Water increased its EPS from US$1.04 to US$1.08. That amounts to a small improvement of 4.3%.
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. It seems York Water is pretty stable, since revenue and EBIT margins are pretty flat year on year. That’s not a major concern but nor does it point to the long term growth we like to see.
In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.
While it’s always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check York Water’s balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.
Are York Water Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.
In the last year insider at York Water were both selling and buying shares; but happily, as a group they spent US$176k more on stock, than they netted from selling it. Although I don’t particularly like to see selling, the fact that they put more capital in, than they extracted, is a positive in my mind. We also note that it was the , Jeffrey Hines, who made the biggest single acquisition, paying US$17k for shares at about US$33.42 each.
Does York Water Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
One positive for York Water is that it is growing EPS. That’s nice to see. While some companies are struggling to grow EPS, York Water seems free from that morose affliction. The cherry on top is the insider share purchases, which provide an extra impetus to keep and eye on this stock, at the very least. Now, you could try to make up your mind on York Water by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of York Water, you’ll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction
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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. Thank you for reading.