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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

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 Mensch und Maschine Software (ETR:MUM). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

View our latest analysis for Mensch und Maschine Software

Mensch und Maschine Software's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

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 means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. We can see that in the last three years Mensch und Maschine Software grew its EPS by 16% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.

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. While we note Mensch und Maschine Software achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 11% to €334m. That's encouraging news for the company!

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.

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

Are Mensch und Maschine Software Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So as you can imagine, the fact that Mensch und Maschine Software insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. Actually, with 47% of the company to their names, insiders are profoundly invested in the business. This should be a welcoming sign for investors because it suggests that the people making the decisions are also impacted by their choices. at the current share price. This is an incredible endorsement from them.

Does Mensch und Maschine Software Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

As previously touched on, Mensch und Maschine Software is a growing business, which is encouraging. To add an extra spark to the fire, significant insider ownership in the company is another highlight. That combination is very appealing. So yes, we do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Mensch und Maschine Software by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.

The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost 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.

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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.