On the stock market since 2002, it operates in electricity, water and gas. It has 10,552 employees. Now — the numbers.
This is an established company with proven profits.
Average growth of 18% a year over the last 4 years. Every year shown ended in profit.
The gap is $27.6B. In times of high interest rates, a gap like that can squeeze a company.
Executive selling isn’t always bad news; people sell for personal reasons too. Still, the thin buying side is worth noting.
The stock trades 18% below its peak. The market has trimmed its expectations for the company.
The net profit margin is 22% — still a thick cushion, though costs have been eating into it lately.
Over the last 3 years, sales grew about 19% a year on average.
It met or beat analyst expectations in 8 of the last 8 quarters — consistency is a promise kept.
Over the last 12 months, executives reported 7 sells against just 0 buys. Not an alarm bell by itself, but a number worth watching.
Since the drop from its peak, buyer appetite hasn’t come back.
On our five-subject report card, SBS sits in the middle of the class: some subjects shine, others don’t. The grade moves as the numbers move.
The takeaway: SBS is an established business that has proven its profits for years. The real debate isn’t the quality of the business — it’s whether the price paid for the stock is too high.