Yahoo Finance Is Now The Time To Put Smartpay Holdings (NZSE:SPY) On Your Watchlist?
Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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 Smartpay Holdings (NZSE:SPY). While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.
View our latest analysis for Smartpay Holdings
How Fast Is Smartpay Holdings Growing Its Earnings Per Share?
In the last three years Smartpay Holdings' earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. As a result, we'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Smartpay Holdings' EPS skyrocketed from NZ$0.021 to NZ$0.033, in just one year; a result that's bound to bring a smile to shareholders. That's a impressive gain of 61%.
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. EBIT margins for Smartpay Holdings remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 43% to NZ$89m. That's encouraging news for the company!
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Smartpay Holdings' future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.
Are Smartpay 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. So it is good to see that Smartpay Holdings insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. To be specific, they have NZ$23m worth of shares. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Those holdings account for over 6.7% of the company; visible skin in the game.
It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Smartpay Holdings, with market caps between NZ$169m and NZ$678m, is around NZ$952k.
Smartpay Holdings' CEO took home a total compensation package worth NZ$818k in the year leading up to March 2023. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies and seems pretty reasonable. 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 a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.
Should You Add Smartpay Holdings To Your Watchlist?
If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Smartpay Holdings' strong EPS growth. 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. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to investing but it definitely makes Smartpay Holdings look rather interesting indeed. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Smartpay Holdings by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.
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 tailored list of New Zealander companies which have demonstrated growth backed by recent insider purchases.
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.
