Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. 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 CME Group (NASDAQ:CME). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide CME Group with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

View our latest analysis for CME Group

CME Group's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. CME Group managed to grow EPS by 16% per year, over three years. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Our analysis has highlighted that CME 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. CME Group shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 54% to 58%, and revenue is growing. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for CME Group.

Are CME Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since CME Group has a market capitalisation of US$72b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth US$235m. We note that this amounts to 0.3% of the company, which may be small owing to the sheer size of CME Group but it's still worth mentioning. This should still be a great incentive for management to maximise shareholder value.

Is CME Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One important encouraging feature of CME Group is that it is growing profits. To add an extra spark to the fire, significant insider ownership in the company is another highlight. These two factors are a huge highlight for the company which should be a strong contender your watchlists. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for CME Group you should know about.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

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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