The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.
If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in SThree (LON:STEM). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide SThree with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
See our latest analysis for SThree
How Fast Is SThree Growing?
Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. We can see that in the last three years SThree grew its EPS by 8.7% per year. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it.
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. EBIT margins for SThree remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 23% to UK£1.6b. That's progress.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.
In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of SThree's forecast profits?
Are SThree Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Prior to investment, it's always a good idea to check that the management team is paid reasonably. Pay levels around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. For companies with market capitalisations between UK£325m and UK£1.3b, like SThree, the median CEO pay is around UK£1.1m.
SThree offered total compensation worth UK£981k to its CEO in the year to November 2022. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.