Does Housing Development Finance (NSE:HDFC) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. 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. 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.

If this kind of company isn’t your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Housing Development Finance (NSE:HDFC). 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 Housing Development Finance

Housing Development Finance’s Improving Profits

Even modest earnings per share growth (EPS) can create meaningful value, when it is sustained reliably from year to year. So it’s no surprise that some investors are more inclined to invest in profitable businesses. Housing Development Finance boosted its trailing twelve month EPS from ₹119 to ₹136, in the last year. This amounts to a 14% gain; a figure that shareholders will be pleased to see.

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. Not all of Housing Development Finance’s revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers used in this article might not be the best representation of the underlying business. It seems Housing Development Finance 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.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

While profitability drives the upside, prudent investors always check the balance sheet, too.

Are Housing Development Finance Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of Housing Development Finance, we wouldn’t expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Indeed, they have a considerable amount of wealth invested in it, currently valued at ₹41b. While that is a lot of skin in the game, we note this holding only totals to 0.8% of the business, which is a result of the company being so large. So despite their percentage holding being low, company management still have plenty of reasons to deliver the best outcomes for investors.

Does Housing Development Finance Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One positive for Housing Development Finance is that it is growing EPS. That’s nice to see. If that’s not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. The combination definitely favoured by investors so consider keeping the company on a watchlist. Before you take the next step you should know about the 2 warning signs for Housing Development Finance (1 is concerning!) that we have uncovered.

The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

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.