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.' A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Tootsie Roll Industries (NYSE:TR), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

View our latest analysis for Tootsie Roll Industries

How Quickly Is Tootsie Roll Industries Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. We can see that in the last three years Tootsie Roll Industries grew its EPS by 16% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. Tootsie Roll Industries maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 15% to US$762m. That's a real positive.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

While it's always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check Tootsie Roll Industries' balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.

Are Tootsie Roll Industries Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So those who are interested in Tootsie Roll Industries will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. Indeed, with a collective holding of 79%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This should be seen as a good thing, as it means insiders have a personal interest in delivering the best outcomes for shareholders. at the current share price. That means they have plenty of their own capital riding on the performance of the business!