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Does Paylocity Holding (NASDAQ:PCTY) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. 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.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Paylocity Holding (NASDAQ:PCTY), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

Check out our latest analysis for Paylocity Holding

How Fast Is Paylocity Holding Growing?

Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. We can see that in the last three years Paylocity Holding grew its EPS by 17% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. It's noted that Paylocity Holding's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. EBIT margins for Paylocity Holding remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 37% to US$1.0b. That's a real positive.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

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

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Paylocity Holding.

Are Paylocity Holding Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Paylocity Holding has a market capitalisation of US$12b, 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. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth US$3.0b. Coming in at 25% of the business, that holding gives insiders a lot of influence, and plenty of reason to generate value for shareholders. Very encouraging.

Should You Add Paylocity Holding To Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Paylocity Holding is that it is growing profits. To add an extra spark to the fire, significant insider ownership in the company is another highlight. The combination definitely favoured by investors so consider keeping the company on a watchlist. Of course, profit growth is one thing but it's even better if Paylocity Holding is receiving high returns on equity, since that should imply it can keep growing without much need for capital. Click on this link to see how it is faring against the average in its industry.

The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies 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.

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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