It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. 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 Cadence Bank (NYSE:CADE). 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 Quickly Is Cadence Bank Increasing Earnings Per Share?

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Impressively, Cadence Bank has grown EPS by 23% per year, compound, in the last three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.

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. It's noted that Cadence Bank's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. EBIT margins for Cadence Bank remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 46% to US$1.7b. That's a real positive.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

View our latest analysis for Cadence Bank

Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Cadence Bank's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.

Are Cadence Bank Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$5.1b company like Cadence Bank. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. With a whopping US$61m worth of shares as a group, insiders have plenty riding on the company's success. That's certainly enough to let shareholders know that management will be very focussed on long term growth.

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. For companies with market capitalisations between US$4.0b and US$12b, like Cadence Bank, the median CEO pay is around US$8.9m.

Cadence Bank's CEO took home a total compensation package worth US$5.1m in the year leading up to December 2023. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Does Cadence Bank Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Cadence Bank's strong EPS growth. 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. This may only be a fast rundown, but the key takeaway is that Cadence Bank is worth keeping an eye on. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Cadence Bank by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.

While opting for stocks without growing earnings and absent insider buying can yield results, for investors valuing these key metrics, here is a carefully selected list of companies in the US with promising growth potential and insider confidence.

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.