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. 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.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Trinity Industries (NYSE:TRN). 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.

See our latest analysis for Trinity Industries

Trinity Industries' Improving Profits

In the last three years Trinity 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. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. To the delight of shareholders, Trinity Industries' EPS soared from US$0.75 to US$1.09, over the last year. That's a impressive gain of 46%.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. EBIT margins for Trinity Industries remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 49% to US$2.8b. That's a real positive.

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 Trinity Industries.

Are Trinity Industries Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's a necessity that company leaders act in the best interest of shareholders and so insider investment always comes as a reassurance to the market. Trinity Industries followers will find comfort in knowing that insiders have a significant amount of capital that aligns their best interests with the wider shareholder group. Indeed, they hold US$23m worth of its stock. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. While their ownership only accounts for 1.1%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.