Is Orion Minerals Limited's (ASX:ORN) CEO Pay Fair?
Errol Smart became the CEO of Orion Minerals Limited (ASX:ORN) in 2012. This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO.
View our latest analysis for Orion Minerals
How Does Errol Smart's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?
Our data indicates that Orion Minerals Limited is worth AU$74m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as AU$495k for the year to June 2019. That's a notable increase of 55% on last year. We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at AU$300k. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below AU$294m, and calculated the median CEO total compensation to be AU$374k.
It would therefore appear that Orion Minerals Limited pays Errol Smart more than the median CEO remuneration at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this fact alone doesn't mean the remuneration is too high. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous.
You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Orion Minerals has changed over time.
Is Orion Minerals Limited Growing?
Orion Minerals Limited has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 14% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 265% over last year.
This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. Most shareholders would be pleased to see strong revenue growth combined with EPS growth. This combo suggests a fast growing business. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Has Orion Minerals Limited Been A Good Investment?
Orion Minerals Limited has served shareholders reasonably well, with a total return of 18% over three years. But they probably don't want to see the CEO paid more than is normal for companies around the same size.
In Summary...
We compared the total CEO remuneration paid by Orion Minerals Limited, and compared it to remuneration at a group of similar sized companies. As discussed above, we discovered that the company pays more than the median of that group.
However, the earnings per share growth over three years is certainly impressive. We also note that, over the same time frame, shareholder returns haven't been bad. While it may be worth researching further, we don't see a problem with the CEO pay, given the good EPS growth. If you think CEO compensation levels are interesting you will probably really like this free visualization of insider trading at Orion Minerals.
If you want to buy a stock that is better than Orion Minerals, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look.
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.
