Yahoo Finance Should You Be Adding QCR Holdings (NASDAQ:QCRH) To Your Watchlist Today?
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. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.
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 QCR Holdings (NASDAQ:QCRH). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.
View our latest analysis for QCR Holdings
How Quickly Is QCR Holdings Increasing Earnings Per Share?
The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. It certainly is nice to see that QCR Holdings has managed to grow EPS by 26% per year over three years. If growth like this continues on into the future, then shareholders will have plenty to smile about.
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 QCR Holdings' revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers used in this article might not be the best representation of the underlying business. While we note QCR Holdings achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 17% to US$281m. That's encouraging news for the company!
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.
The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for QCR Holdings' future EPS 100% free.
Are QCR Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
It's a necessity that company leaders act in the best interest of shareholders and so insider investment always comes as a reassurance to the market. Shareholders will be pleased by the fact that insiders own QCR Holdings shares worth a considerable sum. As a matter of fact, their holding is valued at US$42m. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. While their ownership only accounts for 4.4%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.
It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to QCR Holdings, with market caps between US$400m and US$1.6b, is around US$4.0m.
QCR Holdings' CEO took home a total compensation package of US$1.9m in the year prior to December 2021. First impressions seem to indicate a compensation policy that is favourable to shareholders. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.
Is QCR Holdings Worth Keeping An Eye On?
You can't deny that QCR Holdings has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. If you still have your doubts, remember too that company insiders have a considerable investment aligning themselves with the shareholders and CEO pay is quite modest compared to similarly sized companiess. The overarching message here is that QCR Holdings has underlying strengths that make it worth a look at. You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for QCR Holdings you should be aware of.
There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.
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.
