Is BB&T Corporation's (NYSE:BBT) CEO Being Overpaid?
In 2009 Kelly King was appointed CEO of BB&T Corporation (NYSE:BBT). First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at other large companies. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO.
Check out our latest analysis for BB&T
How Does Kelly King's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?
Our data indicates that BB&T Corporation is worth US$40b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as US$8.6m for the year to December 2018. We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at US$1.1m. We further remind readers that the CEO may face performance requirements to receive the non-salary part of the total compensation. When we examined a group of companies with market caps over US$8.0b, we found that their median CEO total compensation was US$11m. There aren't very many mega-cap companies, so we had to take a wide range to get a meaningful comparison figure.
So Kelly King receives a similar amount to the median CEO pay, amongst the companies we looked at. Although this fact alone doesn't tell us a great deal, it becomes more relevant when considered against the business performance.
The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at BB&T has changed from year to year.
Is BB&T Corporation Growing?
BB&T Corporation has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 17% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 3.4% over last year.
This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. It's also good to see modest revenue growth, suggesting the underlying business is healthy. It could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future.
Has BB&T Corporation Been A Good Investment?
I think that the total shareholder return of 47%, over three years, would leave most BB&T Corporation shareholders smiling. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size.
In Summary...
Kelly King is paid around the same as most CEOs of large companies.
Shareholders would surely be happy to see that shareholder returns have been great, and the earnings per share are up. Although the pay is a normal amount, some shareholders probably consider it fair or modest, given the good performance of the stock. CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling BB&T (free visualization of insider trades).
Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
