I Ran A Stock Scan For Earnings Growth And SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Passed With Ease
Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. Unfortunately, high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson.
So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like SLM (NASDAQ:SLM). While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.
View our latest analysis for SLM
How Quickly Is SLM Increasing Earnings Per Share?
As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Who among us would not applaud SLM's stratospheric annual EPS growth of 53%, compound, over the last three years? That sort of growth never lasts long, but like a shooting star it is well worth watching when it happens.
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. Not all of SLM's revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers I've used might not be the best representation of the underlying business. SLM maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 30% to US$1.7b. That's a real positive.
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.
In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of SLM's forecast profits?
Are SLM Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$5.2b company like SLM. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. To be specific, they have US$36m worth of shares. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. Despite being just 0.7% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.
Does SLM Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
SLM's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. That sort of growth is nothing short of eye-catching, and the large investment held by insiders certainly brightens my view of the company. At times fast EPS growth is a sign the business has reached an inflection point; and I do like those. So to my mind SLM is worth putting on your watchlist; after all, shareholders do well when the market underestimates fast growing companies. We should say that we've discovered 3 warning signs for SLM (2 don't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
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.
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. 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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