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 currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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 UOL Group (SGX:U14). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide UOL Group with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for UOL Group

UOL Group's Improving Profits

Even when EPS earnings per share (EPS) growth is unexceptional, company value can be created if this rate is sustained each year. So EPS growth can certainly encourage an investor to take note of a stock. To the delight of shareholders, UOL Group's EPS soared from S$0.36 to S$0.58, over the last year. That's a fantastic gain of 60%.

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. UOL Group shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 18% to 21%, and revenue is growing. 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. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

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 UOL Group.

Are UOL Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's a necessity that company leaders act in the best interest of shareholders and so insider investment always comes as a reassurance to the market. So it is good to see that UOL Group insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. To be specific, they have S$62m worth of shares. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. While their ownership only accounts for 1.1%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.

Does UOL Group Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

For growth investors, UOL Group's raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. Further, the high level of insider ownership is impressive and suggests that the management appreciates the EPS growth and has faith in UOL Group's continuing strength. On the balance of its merits, solid EPS growth and company insiders who are aligned with the shareholders would indicate a business that is worthy of further research. Still, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with UOL Group (including 1 which shouldn't be ignored).

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

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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