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 completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, Long shots almost never pay off.

So if youre like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like BW Offshore (OB:BWO). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.

See our latest analysis for BW Offshore

Over the last three years, BW Offshore has grown earnings per share (EPS) like young bamboo after rain; fast, and from a low base. So I dont think the percent growth rate is particularly meaningful. As a result, Ill zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Its good to see that BW Offshores EPS have grown from US$0.36 to US$0.45 over twelve months. Thats a 24% gain; respectable growth in the broader scheme of things.

I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). BW Offshore shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 14% to 27%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in my book.

The chart below shows how the companys bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. To that end, right now and today, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for future BW Offshore EPS 100% free.

It makes me feel more secure owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, thusly more closely aligning our interests. So it is good to see that BW Offshore insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. Indeed, they hold US$166m worth of its stock. Thats a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Despite being just 1.4% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.

As I already mentioned, BW Offshore is a growing business, which is what I like to see. If thats not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. The combination sparks joy for me, so Id consider keeping the company on a watchlist. While weve looked at the quality of the earnings, we havent yet done any work to value the stock. So if you like to buy cheap, you may want to check if BW Offshore is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

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

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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With EPS Growth And More, BW Offshore (OB:BWO) Is Interesting - Simply Wall St