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 as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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.
Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Shanti Gold International (NSE:SHANTIGOLD). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.
In the last three years Shanti Gold International's earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. As a result, we'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Shanti Gold International's EPS shot up from ₹13.24 to ₹21.68; a result that's bound to keep shareholders happy. That's a impressive gain of 64%.
One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Shanti Gold International maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 111% to ₹24b. That's encouraging news for the company!
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 Shanti Gold International
Shanti Gold International isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of ₹21b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.
Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So those who are interested in Shanti Gold International will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. To be exact, company insiders hold 75% of the company, so their decisions have a significant impact on their investments. Intuition will tell you this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at ₹16b at the current share price. That's nothing to sneeze at!
While it's always good to see some strong conviction in the company from insiders through heavy investment, it's also important for shareholders to ask if management compensation policies are reasonable. Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Shanti Gold International, with market caps between ₹9.6b and ₹38b, is around ₹18m.
Shanti Gold International offered total compensation worth ₹12m to its CEO in the year to March 2026. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.
You can't deny that Shanti Gold International has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. If you still have your doubts, remember too that company insiders have a considerable investment aligning themselves with the shareholders and CEO pay is quite modest compared to similarly sized companiess. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to investing but it definitely makes Shanti Gold International look rather interesting indeed. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Shanti Gold International by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.
Although Shanti Gold International certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see companies with more skin in the game, then check out this handpicked selection of Indian companies that not only boast of strong growth but have strong insider backing.
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.