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Should You Be Adding Eurocommercial Properties (AMS:ECMPA) To Your Watchlist Today?
BySimply Wall StPublishedDecember 23, 2021
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 Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy.
In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Eurocommercial Properties (AMS:ECMPA). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.
How Quickly Is Eurocommercial Properties Increasing Earnings Per Share?
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). It's no surprise, then, that I like to invest in companies with EPS growth. It certainly is nice to see that Eurocommercial Properties has managed to grow EPS by 28% per year over three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be smiling.
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). Not all of Eurocommercial Properties's revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers I've used might not be the best representation of the underlying business. While Eurocommercial Properties did well to grow revenue over the last year, EBIT margins were dampened at the same time. So it seems the future my hold further growth, especially if EBIT margins can stabilize.
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.
earnings-and-revenue-history
ENXTAM:ECMPA Earnings and Revenue History December 23rd 2021
You don't drive with your eyes on the rear-view mirror, so you might be more interested in this free report showing analyst forecasts for Eurocommercial Properties's future profits.
Are Eurocommercial Properties Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
I always like to check up on CEO compensation, because I think that reasonable pay levels, around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. For companies with market capitalizations between €353m and €1.4b, like Eurocommercial Properties, the median CEO pay is around €961k.
The CEO of Eurocommercial Properties only received €460k in total compensation for the year ending . That looks like modest pay to me, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally.
Should You Add Eurocommercial Properties To Your Watchlist?
Given my belief that share price follows earnings per share you can easily imagine how I feel about Eurocommercial Properties's strong EPS growth. With swiftly growing earnings, it probably has its best days ahead, and the modest CEO pay suggests the company is careful with cash. So I'd argue this is the kind of stock worth watching, even if it isn't great value today.