Here's Why I Think Zimplats Holdings (ASX:ZIM) Is An Interesting Stock

It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. Unfortunately, high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson.

So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Zimplats Holdings (ASX:ZIM). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. In comparison, loss making companies act like a sponge for capital – but unlike such a sponge they do not always produce something when squeezed.

See our latest analysis for Zimplats Holdings

Zimplats Holdings's Improving Profits

In the last three years Zimplats Holdings's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. As a result, I'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Like a firecracker arcing through the night sky, Zimplats Holdings's EPS shot from US$1.36 to US$4.01, over the last year. Year on year growth of 195% is certainly a sight to behold. That could be a sign that the business has reached a true inflection point.

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. Zimplats Holdings shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 35% to 53%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in my book.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

earnings-and-revenue-historyearnings-and-revenue-history
earnings-and-revenue-history

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

Are Zimplats Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It makes me feel more secure owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, thusly more closely aligning our interests. As a result, I'm encouraged by the fact that insiders own Zimplats Holdings shares worth a considerable sum. To be specific, they have US$17m worth of shares. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Even though that's only about 0.6% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders.

Is Zimplats Holdings Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Zimplats Holdings's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. That EPS growth certainly has my attention, and the large insider ownership only serves to further stoke my interest. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. So yes, on this short analysis I do think it's worth considering Zimplats Holdings for a spot on your watchlist. We should say that we've discovered 2 warning signs for Zimplats Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here.

You can invest in 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.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

Matt Earle

Matthew Earle is the Founder of MiningFeeds. In 2005, Matt founded MiningNerds.com to provide data and information to the mining investment community. This site was merged with Highgrade Review to form MiningFeeds. Matt has a B.Sc. degree with a minor in geology from the University of Toronto.

By Matt Earle

Matthew Earle is the Founder of MiningFeeds. In 2005, Matt founded MiningNerds.com to provide data and information to the mining investment community. This site was merged with Highgrade Review to form MiningFeeds. Matt has a B.Sc. degree with a minor in geology from the University of Toronto.

Comments are closed.

If you would like to receive our free newsletter via email, simply enter your email address below & click subscribe.

MOST ACTIVE MINING STOCKS

 Daily Gainers

 Lincoln Minerals Limited LML.AX +125.00%
 Golden Cross Resources Ltd. GCR.AX +33.33%
 Casa Minerals Inc. CASA.V +30.00%
 Athena Resources Ltd. AHN.AX +22.22%
 Adavale Resources Limited ADD.AX +22.22%
 Azimut Exploration Inc. AZM.V +21.98%
 New Stratus Energy Inc. NSE.V +21.05%
 Dynasty Gold Corp. DYG.V +18.42%
 Azincourt Energy Corp. AAZ.V +18.18%
 Gladiator Resources Limited GLA.AX +17.65%