Nasdaq Today – Do Green Brick Partners’s (NASDAQ:GRBK) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?

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 the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses.

In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Green Brick Partners (NASDAQ:GRBK), which has not only revenues, but also profits. 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.

See our latest analysis for Green Brick Partners

How Quickly Is Green Brick Partners Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you’d expect a company’s share price to follow its 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 Green Brick Partners’s stratospheric annual EPS growth of 47%, compound, over the last three years? Growth that fast may well be fleeting, but like a lotus blooming from a murky pond, it sparks joy for the wary stock pickers.

I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company’s growth. Green Brick Partners maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 27% to US$952m. That’s a real positive.

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.

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 Green Brick Partners’s future profits.

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Are Green Brick Partners Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. Because oftentimes, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don’t know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

Any way you look at it Green Brick Partners shareholders can gain quiet confidence from the fact that insiders shelled out US$206k to buy stock, over the last year. And when you consider that there was no insider selling, you can understand why shareholders might believe that lady luck will grace this business. We also note that it was the Independent Director, John Farris, who made the biggest single acquisition, paying US$95k for shares at about US$8.04 each.

Along with the insider buying, another encouraging sign for Green Brick Partners is that insiders, as a group, have a considerable shareholding. Indeed, they hold US$45m worth of its stock. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. Despite being just 4.5% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.

Is Green Brick Partners Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Green Brick Partners’s earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. Just as heartening; insiders both own and are buying more stock. This quick rundown suggests that the business may be of good quality, and also at an inflection point, so maybe Green Brick Partners deserves timely attention. While we’ve looked at the quality of the earnings, we haven’t yet done any work to value the stock. So if you like to buy cheap, you may want to check if Green Brick Partners is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Green Brick Partners, you’ll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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