Here's Why I Think Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE) Is An Interesting Stock
It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.
So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE). While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business than can consistently produce it. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.
See our latest analysis for Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Alexandria Real Estate Equities's Improving Profits
In the last three years Alexandria Real Estate Equities's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. As a result, I'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. It's good to see that Alexandria Real Estate Equities's EPS have grown from US$2.80 to US$3.50 over twelve months. I doubt many would complain about that 25% gain.
I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). Alexandria Real Estate Equities maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 15% to US$1.4b. That's a real positive.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.
While we live in the present moment at all times, there's no doubt in my mind that the future matters more than the past. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Alexandria Real Estate Equities?
Are Alexandria Real Estate Equities Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Since Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a market capitalization of US$17b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Notably, they have an enormous stake in the company, worth US$226m. This suggests to me that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!
It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalizations over US$8.0b, like Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the median CEO pay is around US$11m.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities offered total compensation worth US$7.4m to its CEO in the year to December 2018. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies, and seems pretty reasonable to me. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.
Should You Add Alexandria Real Estate Equities To Your Watchlist?
As I already mentioned, Alexandria Real Estate Equities is a growing business, which is what I like to see. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Alexandria Real Estate Equities, but the pretty picture gets better than that. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, I'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. Of course, identifying quality businesses is only half the battle; investors need to know whether the stock is undervalued. So you might want to consider this free discounted cashflow valuation of Alexandria Real Estate Equities.
You can invest in 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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