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 the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. 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 Greencore Group (LON:GNC). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

See our latest analysis for Greencore Group

How Fast Is Greencore Group Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

Greencore Group has undergone a massive growth in earnings per share over the last three years. So much so that this three year growth rate wouldn't be a fair assessment of the company's future. So it would be better to isolate the growth rate over the last year for our analysis. In impressive fashion, Greencore Group's EPS grew from UK￡0.052 to UK￡0.12, over the previous 12 months. Year on year growth of 128% is certainly a sight to behold.

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. Greencore Group's EBIT margins are flat but, worryingly, its revenue is actually down. Suffice it to say that is not a great sign of growth.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

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 Greencore Group's future profits.

Are Greencore Group 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. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.

Belief in the company remains high for insiders as there hasn't been a single share sold by the management or company board members. But more importantly, Independent Non-Executive Director Anne O’Leary spent UK￡52k acquiring shares, doing so at an average price of UK￡1.05. It seems at least one insider has seen potential in the company's future - and they're willing to put money on the line.

Recent insider purchases of Greencore Group stock is not the only way management has kept the interests of the general public shareholders in mind. To be specific, the CEO is paid modestly when compared to company peers of the same size. For companies with market capitalisations between UK￡766m and UK￡2.5b, like Greencore Group, the median CEO pay is around UK￡1.6m.

The Greencore Group CEO received UK￡1.4m in compensation for the year ending September 2023. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. 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. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Is Greencore Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Greencore Group's earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. The company can also boast of insider buying, and reasonable remuneration for the CEO. The strong EPS growth suggests Greencore Group may be at an inflection point. If these have piqued your interest, then this stock surely warrants a spot on your watchlist. Even so, be aware that Greencore Group is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

Keen growth investors love to see insider activity. Thankfully, Greencore Group isn't the only one. You can see a a curated list of British companies which have exhibited consistent growth accompanied by high insider ownership.

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.