If EPS Growth Is Important To You, Ingredion (NYSE:INGR) Presents An Opportunity
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. 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.
So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Ingredion (NYSE:INGR). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Ingredion with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
View our latest analysis for Ingredion
How Fast Is Ingredion Growing?
Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Shareholders will be happy to know that Ingredion's EPS has grown 24% each year, compound, over three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.
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. The good news is that Ingredion is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.2 percentage points to 12%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.
While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Ingredion?
Are Ingredion Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Investors are always searching for a vote of confidence in the companies they hold and insider buying is one of the key indicators for optimism on the market. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. However, small purchases are not always indicative of conviction, and insiders don't always get it right.
While some insiders did sell some of their holdings in Ingredion, one lone insider trumped that with significant stock purchases. To be exact, Senior VP of Global Operations & Chief Supply Chain Officer Eric Seip put their money where their mouth is, paying US$296k at an average of price of US$98.50 per share That certainly piques our interest.
On top of the insider buying, it's good to see that Ingredion insiders have a valuable investment in the business. Indeed, they hold US$39m worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. While their ownership only accounts for 0.5%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.
Should You Add Ingredion To Your Watchlist?
You can't deny that Ingredion has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. Moreover, the management and board of the company hold a significant stake in the company, with one party adding to this total. Astute investors will want to keep this stock on watch. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Ingredion that you need to be mindful of.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Ingredion, you'll probably love this curated collection of companies in the US that have witnessed growth alongside 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.
