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Should You Be Adding Lincoln Electric Holdings (NASDAQ:LECO) 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 can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Lincoln Electric Holdings (NASDAQ:LECO). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Lincoln Electric Holdings with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

View our latest analysis for Lincoln Electric Holdings

How Fast Is Lincoln Electric Holdings 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. Lincoln Electric Holdings managed to grow EPS by 7.9% per year, over three years. This may not be setting the world alight, but it does show that EPS is on the upwards trend.

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. The good news is that Lincoln Electric Holdings is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 3.1 percentage points to 16%, over the last year. That's great to see, on both counts.

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

Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Lincoln Electric Holdings' future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.

Are Lincoln Electric Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Lincoln Electric Holdings has a market capitalisation of US$8.3b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth US$114m. Holders should find this level of insider commitment quite encouraging, since it would ensure that the leaders of the company would also experience their success, or failure, with the stock.

Is Lincoln Electric Holdings Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One important encouraging feature of Lincoln Electric Holdings is that it is growing profits. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. These two factors are a huge highlight for the company which should be a strong contender your watchlists. Even so, be aware that Lincoln Electric Holdings is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...

Although Lincoln Electric Holdings certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

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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