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Is Now The Time To Put Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) On Your Watchlist?

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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

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 Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Macquarie Group with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for Macquarie Group

How Quickly Is Macquarie Group Increasing Earnings Per Share?

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. Over the last three years, Macquarie Group has grown EPS by 12% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.

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It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Not all of Macquarie Group's 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 Macquarie Group achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 35% to AU$17b. That's progress.

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.

earnings-and-revenue-history
earnings-and-revenue-history

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 Macquarie Group's future EPS 100% free.

Are Macquarie Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

The AU$99k worth of shares that insiders sold during the last 12 months pales in comparison to the AU$1.3m they spent on acquiring shares in the company. This adds to the interest in Macquarie Group because it suggests that those who understand the company best, are optimistic. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Michelle Hinchliffe for AU$382k worth of shares, at about AU$181 per share.

Along with the insider buying, another encouraging sign for Macquarie Group is that insiders, as a group, have a considerable shareholding. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth AU$215m. While that is a lot of skin in the game, we note this holding only totals to 0.3% of the business, which is a result of the company being so large. This still shows shareholders there is a degree of alignment between management and themselves.

Should You Add Macquarie Group To Your Watchlist?

As previously touched on, Macquarie Group is a growing business, which is encouraging. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. These factors alone make the company an interesting prospect for your watchlist, as well as continuing research. It is worth noting though that we have found 2 warning signs for Macquarie Group that you need to take into consideration.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Macquarie Group, you'll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.

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