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. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.
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 IFB Industries (NSE:IFBIND). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.
In the last three years IFB Industries' earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. As a result, we'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. IFB Industries' EPS skyrocketed from ₹26.55 to ₹39.60, in just one year; a result that's bound to bring a smile to shareholders. That's a commendable gain of 49%.
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. IFB Industries maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 14% to ₹59b. That's a real positive.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
See our latest analysis for IFB Industries
The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for IFB Industries' future EPS 100% free.
Prior to investment, it's always a good idea to check that the management team is paid reasonably. Pay levels around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like IFB Industries with market caps between ₹19b and ₹75b is about ₹26m.
IFB Industries' CEO took home a total compensation package worth ₹13m in the year leading up to March 2026. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.
If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into IFB Industries' strong EPS growth. The fast growth bodes well while the very reasonable CEO pay assists builds some confidence in the board. Based on these factors, this stock may well deserve a spot on your watchlist, or even a little further research. While we've looked at the quality of the earnings, we haven't yet done any work to value the stock. So if you like to buy cheap, you may want to check if IFB Industries is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.
Although IFB Industries certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see companies with more skin in the game, then check out this handpicked selection of Indian companies that not only boast of strong growth but have strong insider backing.
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.