Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase ‘the next big thing’, even if that means buying ‘story stocks’ without revenue, let alone 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.
If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in AudioCodes (NASDAQ:AUDC).While profit is not necessarily a social good, it’s easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it.Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.
AudioCodes’s Earnings Per Share Are Growing.As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS).That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors.Who among us would not applaud AudioCodes’s stratospheric annual EPS growth of 48%, compound, over the last three years? While that sort of growth rate isn’t sustainable for long, it certainly catches my attention; like a crow with a sparkly stone.
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).The good news is that AudioCodes is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.4 percentage points to 18%, over the last year.
That’s great to see, on both counts.
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.
NasdaqGS:AUDC Earnings and Revenue History January 1st 2022 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 AudioCodes .
Are AudioCodes Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? It makes me feel more secure owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, thusly more closely aligning our interests.As a result, I’m encouraged by the fact that insiders own AudioCodes shares worth a considerable sum.Indeed, they have a glittering mountain of wealth invested in it, currently valued at US$254m.That equates to 23% of the company, making insiders powerful and aligned with other shareholders.So it might be my imagination, but I do sense the glimmer of an opportunity.
Does AudioCodes Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist? AudioCodes’s earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017.That sort of growth is nothing short of eye-catching, and the large investment held by insiders certainly brightens my view of the company.
The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics.So to my mind AudioCodes is worth putting on your watchlist; after all, shareholders do well when the market underestimates fast growing companies.Of course, just because AudioCodes is growing does not mean it is undervalued.If you’re wondering about the valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio , as compared to its industry.
You can invest in any company you want.
But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies 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.
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