Do Peet's (ASX:PPC) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?

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. 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 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 Peet (ASX:PPC). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

Check out our latest analysis for Peet

Peet's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. Peet managed to grow EPS by 4.0% per year, over three years. That might not be particularly high growth, but it does show that per-share earnings are moving steadily in the right direction.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. The good news is that Peet is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 4.8 percentage points to 19%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

While profitability drives the upside, prudent investors always check the balance sheet, too.

Are Peet Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's said that there's no smoke without fire. For investors, insider buying is often the smoke that indicates which stocks could set the market alight. 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.

Any way you look at it Peet shareholders can gain quiet confidence from the fact that insiders shelled out AU$517k to buy stock, over the last year. This, combined with the lack of sales from insiders, should be a great signal for shareholders in what's to come. We also note that it was the Non-Executive Chairman, Anthony Lennon, who made the biggest single acquisition, paying AU$421k for shares at about AU$1.05 each.

The good news, alongside the insider buying, for Peet bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth AU$153m. This totals to 29% of shares in the company. Enough to lead management's decision making process down a path that brings the most benefit to shareholders. So there is opportunity here to invest in a company whose management have tangible incentives to deliver.

Does Peet Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

As previously touched on, Peet is a growing business, which is encouraging. In addition, insiders have been busy adding to their sizeable holdings in the company. These factors alone make the company an interesting prospect for your watchlist, as well as continuing research. However, before you get too excited we've discovered 3 warning signs for Peet (2 are significant!) that you should be aware of.

The good news is that Peet is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... 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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