Here's Why I Think Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO) Might Deserve Your Attention 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 completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.'

In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Great-West Lifeco (TSE:GWO), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.

See our latest analysis for Great-West Lifeco

How Fast Is Great-West Lifeco Growing?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price will eventually follow. It's no surprise, then, that I like to invest in companies with EPS growth. We can see that in the last three years Great-West Lifeco grew its EPS by 13% per year. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it.

I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. I note that Great-West Lifeco's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort my analysis of its margins. Great-West Lifeco maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 36% to CA$61b. That's a real positive.

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.

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 Great-West Lifeco.

Are Great-West Lifeco Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like that fresh smell in the air when the rains are coming, insider buying fills me with optimistic anticipation. 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.

While Great-West Lifeco insiders did net -CA$2.8m selling stock over the last year, they invested CA$3.4m, a much higher figure. You could argue that level of buying implies genuine confidence in the business. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by President Paul Mahon for CA$1.8m worth of shares, at about CA$27.16 per share.

On top of the insider buying, it's good to see that Great-West Lifeco insiders have a valuable investment in the business. To be specific, they have CA$29m worth of shares. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. Despite being just 0.09% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.

While insiders are apparently happy to hold and accumulate shares, that is just part of the pretty picture. That's because on our analysis the CEO, Paul Mahon, is paid less than the median for similar sized companies. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Great-West Lifeco, with market caps over CA$10b, is about CA$8.8m.

Great-West Lifeco offered total compensation worth CA$7.9m to its CEO in the year to . That seems pretty reasonable, especially given its below the median for similar sized companies. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when its reasonable that does give me a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Does Great-West Lifeco Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One positive for Great-West Lifeco is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. That makes the company a prime candidate for my watchlist - and arguably a research priority. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Great-West Lifeco you should know about.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Great-West Lifeco, 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.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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