For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and 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 can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

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 Paragon Banking Group (LON:PAG). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

View our latest analysis for Paragon Banking Group

Paragon Banking Group's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

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) outcomes. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. It certainly is nice to see that Paragon Banking Group has managed to grow EPS by 35% per year over three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.

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. Our analysis has highlighted that Paragon Banking Group's revenue from operations did not account for all of their revenue in the previous 12 months, so our analysis of its margins might not accurately reflect the underlying business. While Paragon Banking Group may have maintained EBIT margins over the last year, revenue has fallen. This does not bode too well for short term growth prospects and so understanding the reasons for these results is of great importance.

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. earnings-and-revenue-history

While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Paragon Banking Group?

Are Paragon Banking Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's said that there's no smoke without fire. For investors, insider buying is often the smoke that indicates which stocks could set the market alight. Because often, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, small purchases are not always indicative of conviction, and insiders don't always get it right.

Any way you look at it Paragon Banking Group shareholders can gain quiet confidence from the fact that insiders shelled out UK£214k 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 there are brighter days ahead. It is also worth noting that it was Independent Non-Executive Chairman Robert East who made the biggest single purchase, worth UK£49k, paying UK£4.90 per share.

Along with the insider buying, another encouraging sign for Paragon Banking Group is that insiders, as a group, have a considerable shareholding. Indeed, they hold UK£10m worth of its stock. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. Despite being just 0.9% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.

Does Paragon Banking Group Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Paragon Banking Group's strong EPS growth. Not only that, but we can see that insiders both own a lot of, and are buying more shares in the company. Astute investors will want to keep this stock on watch. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk.  We've identified 3 warning signs  with Paragon Banking Group (at least 1 which is potentially serious)  , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Paragon Banking Group, you'll probably love this freelist of growing companies that insiders are buying.

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.

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