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Here's Why I Think Wincanton (LON:WIN) Is An Interesting Stock

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. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.

In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Wincanton (LON:WIN), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.

See our latest analysis for Wincanton

How Quickly Is Wincanton Increasing Earnings Per Share?

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so share price follows earnings per share (EPS) eventually. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. We can see that in the last three years Wincanton grew its EPS by 4.5% per year. While that sort of growth rate isn't amazing, it does show the business is growing.

I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). While we note Wincanton's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 12% to UK£1.3b. That's progress.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

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

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

Are Wincanton Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.

Wincanton insiders both bought and sold shares over the last twelve months, but they did end up spending UK£28k more on stock than they received from selling it. When you weigh that up, it is a mild positive, indicating increased alignment between shareholders and management.

I do like that insiders have been buying shares in Wincanton, but there is more evidence of shareholder friendly management. Specifically, the CEO is paid quite reasonably for a company of this size. For companies with market capitalizations between UK£321m and UK£1.3b, like Wincanton, the median CEO pay is around UK£1.1m.

Wincanton offered total compensation worth UK£777k to its CEO in the year to . That seems pretty reasonable, especially given its below the median for similar sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally.

Does Wincanton Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One positive for Wincanton is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. And that's not all, folks. We've also seen insiders buying stock, and noted modest executive pay. If that doesn't automatically earn it a spot on your watchlist then I'd posit it warrants a closer look at the very least. You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Wincanton you should be aware of, and 1 of them shouldn't be ignored.

As a growth investor I do like to see insider buying. But Wincanton isn't the only one. You can see a a free list of them here.

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.