If EPS Growth Is Important To You, Sasol (JSE:SOL) Presents An Opportunity

It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

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

See our latest analysis for Sasol

Sasol's Improving Profits

Investors and investment funds chase profits, and that means share prices tend rise with positive earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. Which is why EPS growth is looked upon so favourably. It is awe-striking that Sasol's EPS went from R14.57 to R60.63 in just one year. Even though that growth rate may not be repeated, that looks like a breakout improvement. But the key is discerning whether something profound has changed, or if this is a just a one-off boost.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. The music to the ears of Sasol shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 13% to 18% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. 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.

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Sasol.

Are Sasol Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

As a general rule, it's worth considering how much the CEO is paid, since unreasonably high rates could be considered against the interests of shareholders. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Sasol, with market caps over R136b, is about R48m.

Sasol's CEO took home a total compensation package worth R43m in the year leading up to June 2022. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly 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.

Is Sasol Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Sasol's earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. With increasing profits, its seems likely the business has a rosy future; and it may have hit an inflection point. At the same time the reasonable CEO compensation reflects well on the board of directors. So faced with these facts, it seems that researching this stock a little more may lead you to discover an investment opportunity that meets your quality standards. You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Sasol you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

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.