Should You Be Adding AI Partners Financial (TSE:7345) To Your Watchlist Today?

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. 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.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like AI Partners Financial (TSE:7345). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

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How Fast Is AI Partners Financial Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

AI Partners Financial 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. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. Outstandingly, AI Partners Financial's EPS shot from JP¥0.31 to JP¥0.92, over the last year. It's a rarity to see 194% year-on-year growth like that.

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. It seems AI Partners Financial is pretty stable, since revenue and EBIT margins are pretty flat year on year. While this doesn't ring alarm bells, it may not meet the expectations of growth-minded investors.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

See our latest analysis for AI Partners Financial

AI Partners Financial isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of JP¥2.3b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are AI Partners Financial 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 AI Partners Financial will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. Owning 49% of the company, insiders have plenty riding on the performance of the the share price. This should be a welcoming sign for investors because it suggests that the people making the decisions are also impacted by their choices. Valued at only JP¥2.3b AI Partners Financial is really small for a listed company. So this large proportion of shares owned by insiders only amounts to JP¥1.1b. That might not be a huge sum but it should be enough to keep insiders motivated!

Is AI Partners Financial Worth Keeping An Eye On?

AI Partners Financial's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. That sort of growth is nothing short of eye-catching, and the large investment held by insiders should certainly brighten the view of the company. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. So based on this quick analysis, we do think it's worth considering AI Partners Financial for a spot on your watchlist. Before you take the next step you should know about the 1 warning sign for AI Partners Financial that we have uncovered.

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 Japanese 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.

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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.