St. Joe (NYSE:JOE) Ticks All The Boxes When It Comes To Earnings Growth
For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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.
Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like St. Joe (NYSE:JOE). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.
See our latest analysis for St. Joe
St. Joe's Earnings Per Share Are Growing
If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. To the delight of shareholders, St. Joe has achieved impressive annual EPS growth of 40%, compound, over the last three years. That sort of growth rarely ever lasts long, but it is well worth paying attention to when it happens.
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. On the one hand, St. Joe's EBIT margins fell over the last year, but on the other hand, revenue grew. If EBIT margins are able to stay balanced and this revenue growth continues, then we should see brighter days ahead.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
While it's always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check St. Joe's balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.
Are St. Joe Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
It's said that there's no smoke without fire. For investors, insider buying is often the smoke that indicates which stocks could set the market alight. Because often, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, small purchases are not always indicative of conviction, and insiders don't always get it right.
Belief in the company remains high for insiders as there hasn't been a single share sold by the management or company board members. But more importantly, President Jorge Gonzalez spent US$55k acquiring shares, doing so at an average price of US$45.49. It seems at least one insider has seen potential in the company's future - and they're willing to put money on the line.
Along with the insider buying, another encouraging sign for St. Joe is that insiders, as a group, have a considerable shareholding. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth US$106m. Investors will appreciate management having this amount of skin in the game as it shows their commitment to the company's future.
While insiders already own a significant amount of shares, and they have been buying more, the good news for ordinary shareholders does not stop there. That's because St. Joe's CEO, Jorge Gonzalez, is paid at a relatively modest level when compared to other CEOs for companies of this size. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to St. Joe, with market caps between US$2.0b and US$6.4b, is around US$6.6m.
St. Joe's CEO took home a total compensation package of US$1.8m in the year prior to December 2022. First impressions seem to indicate a compensation policy that is favourable to shareholders. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, 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 St. Joe To Your Watchlist?
St. Joe's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. To sweeten the deal, insiders have significant skin in the game with one even acquiring more. These factors seem to indicate the company's potential and that it has reached an inflection point. We'd suggest St. Joe belongs near the top of your watchlist. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for St. Joe that you should be aware of.
The good news is that St. Joe is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... 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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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.
