Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

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 Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) (SGX:BS6). 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 Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings)

How Fast Is Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Growing?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. We can see that in the last three years Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) grew its EPS by 7.1% per year. While that sort of growth rate isn't anything to write home about, it does show the business is growing.

It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. On the revenue front, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) has done well over the past year, growing revenue by 69% to CN¥21b but EBIT margin figures were less stellar, seeing a decline over the last 12 months. If EBIT margins are able to stay balanced and this revenue growth continues, then we should see brighter days ahead.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings)'s future EPS 100% free.

Are Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It should give investors a sense of security owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, creating a close alignment their interests. Shareholders will be pleased by the fact that insiders own Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) shares worth a considerable sum. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth CN¥229m. Holders should find this level of insider commitment quite encouraging, since it would ensure that the leaders of the company would also experience their success, or failure, with the stock.

Does Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

As previously touched on, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) is a growing business, which is encouraging. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. These two factors are a huge highlight for the company which should be a strong contender your watchlists. Before you take the next step you should know about the 1 warning sign for Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) that we have uncovered.

Although Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

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.