Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering ‘the next big thing’, even if that means buying ‘story stocks’ without any revenue, let alone profit. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. 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.
In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Autoliv (NYSE:ALV), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Autoliv with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you’d expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. It certainly is nice to see that Autoliv has managed to grow EPS by 31% per year over three years. If growth like this continues on into the future, then shareholders will have plenty to smile about.
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. It seems Autoliv is pretty stable, since revenue and EBIT margins are pretty flat year on year. That’s not bad, but it doesn’t point to ongoing future growth, either.
The chart below shows how the company’s bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.
Check out our latest analysis for Autoliv
Fortunately, we’ve got access to analyst forecasts of Autoliv’s future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.
Owing to the size of Autoliv, we wouldn’t expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. To be specific, they have US$29m worth of shares. That’s a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. While their ownership only accounts for 0.3%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.
It’s good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Autoliv, with market caps between US$4.0b and US$12b, is around US$8.3m.
Autoliv’s CEO took home a total compensation package of US$3.7m in the year prior to December 2024. That’s clearly well below average, so at a glance that arrangement seems generous to shareholders and points to a modest remuneration culture. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn’t be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.
If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Autoliv’s strong EPS growth. If you need more convincing beyond that EPS growth rate, don’t forget about the reasonable remuneration and the high insider ownership. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to investing but it definitely makes Autoliv look rather interesting indeed. You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we’ve spotted 2 warning signs for Autoliv you should be aware of.
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 tailored list of companies which have demonstrated growth backed by significant insider holdings.
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.