Should You Be Adding Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) To Your Watchlist Today?
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. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.
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 Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK). 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 Verisk Analytics
How Quickly Is Verisk Analytics Increasing Earnings Per Share?
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. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Impressively, Verisk Analytics has grown EPS by 35% per year, compound, in the last three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.
Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. It was a year of stability for Verisk Analytics as both revenue and EBIT margins remained have been flat over the past year. That's not a major concern but nor does it point to the long term growth we like to see.
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.
Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Verisk Analytics' future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.
Are Verisk Analytics Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$29b company like Verisk Analytics. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth US$257m. While that is a lot of skin in the game, we note this holding only totals to 0.9% of the business, which is a result of the company being so large. This still shows shareholders there is a degree of alignment between management and themselves.
It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Verisk Analytics, with market caps over US$8.0b, is around US$13m.
The CEO of Verisk Analytics only received US$3.9m in total compensation for the year ending December 2021. That looks like a modest pay packet, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. 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. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.
Is Verisk Analytics Worth Keeping An Eye On?
For growth investors, Verisk Analytics' raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. If you still have your doubts, remember too that company insiders have a considerable investment aligning themselves with the shareholders and CEO pay is quite modest compared to similarly sized companiess. This may only be a fast rundown, but the key takeaway is that Verisk Analytics is worth keeping an eye on. Before you take the next step you should know about the 4 warning signs for Verisk Analytics (1 can't be ignored!) that we have uncovered.
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.
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