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 the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.
In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Phoenix Mecano (VTX:PMN), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.
View our latest analysis for Phoenix Mecano
How Fast Is Phoenix Mecano Growing?
If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Recognition must be given to the that Phoenix Mecano has grown EPS by 41% per year, over the last three years. Growth that fast may well be fleeting, but it should be more than enough to pique the interest of the wary stock pickers.
Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. While Phoenix Mecano may have maintained EBIT margins over the last year, revenue has fallen. Suffice it to say that is not a great sign of growth.
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.
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 Phoenix Mecano.
Are Phoenix Mecano 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 those who are interested in Phoenix Mecano will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. In fact, they own 37% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. Shareholders and speculators should be reassured by this kind of alignment, as it suggests the business will be run for the benefit of shareholders. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at €127m at the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!