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 currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. 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.
Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Sim Leisure Group (Catalist:URR). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.
View our latest analysis for Sim Leisure Group
Sim Leisure Group's Improving Profits
In business, profits are a key measure of success; and share prices tend to reflect earnings per share (EPS) performance. Which is why EPS growth is looked upon so favourably. It's an outstanding feat for Sim Leisure Group to have grown EPS from RM0.022 to RM0.14 in just one year. Even though that growth rate may not be repeated, that looks like a breakout improvement. Could this be a sign that the business has reached an inflection point?
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. On the revenue front, Sim Leisure Group has done well over the past year, growing revenue by 147% to RM97m but EBIT margin figures were less stellar, seeing a decline over the last 12 months. So if EBIT margins can stabilize, this top-line growth should pay off for shareholders.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.
Sim Leisure Group isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of S$72m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.
Are Sim Leisure Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So those who are interested in Sim Leisure Group will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. Indeed, with a collective holding of 59%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This makes it apparent they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - a positive for shareholders with a sit and hold strategy. With that sort of holding, insiders have about RM43m riding on the stock, at current prices. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!