The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Bank of Marin Bancorp

How Fast Is Bank of Marin Bancorp Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

Even when EPS earnings per share (EPS) growth is unexceptional, company value can be created if this rate is sustained each year. So EPS growth can certainly encourage an investor to take note of a stock. It's good to see that Bank of Marin Bancorp's EPS has grown from US$2.30 to US$2.72 over twelve months. There's little doubt shareholders would be happy with that 18% gain.

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. It's noted that Bank of Marin Bancorp'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 Bank of Marin Bancorp remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 22% to US$134m. That's a real positive.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of Bank of Marin Bancorp's forecast profits?

Are Bank of Marin Bancorp Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.

Belief in the company remains high for insiders as there hasn't been a single share sold by the management or company board members. But more importantly, Independent Director Sanjiv Sanghvi spent US$53k acquiring shares, doing so at an average price of US$30.93. Purchases like this clue us in to the to the faith management has in the business' future.

The good news, alongside the insider buying, for Bank of Marin Bancorp bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. Given insiders own a significant chunk of shares, currently valued at US$64m, they have plenty of motivation to push the business to succeed. That holding amounts to 11% of the stock on issue, thus making insiders influential owners of the business and aligned with the interests of shareholders.

While insiders already own a significant amount of shares, and they have been buying more, the good news for ordinary shareholders does not stop there. The cherry on top is that the CEO, Tim Myers is paid comparatively modestly to CEOs at similar sized companies. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Bank of Marin Bancorp with market caps between US$200m and US$800m is about US$2.7m.

Bank of Marin Bancorp's CEO took home a total compensation package of US$809k in the year prior to December 2021. That looks like a modest pay packet, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Is Bank of Marin Bancorp Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One positive for Bank of Marin Bancorp is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. That should do plenty in prompting budding investors to undertake a bit more research - or even adding the company to their watchlists. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Bank of Marin Bancorp 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 good news is that Bank of Marin Bancorp is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... 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.

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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