How Should Investors Feel About ePlus inc.'s (NASDAQ:PLUS) CEO Pay?

Want to participate in a research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $60 gift card!

Mark Marron has been the CEO of ePlus inc. (NASDAQ:PLUS) since 2016. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid.

See our latest analysis for ePlus

How Does Mark Marron's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

According to our data, ePlus inc. has a market capitalization of US$1.2b, and pays its CEO total annual compensation worth US$3.0m. (This figure is for the year to March 2018). We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at US$741k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of US$1.0b to US$3.2b. The median total CEO compensation was US$3.6m.

So Mark Marron receives a similar amount to the median CEO pay, amongst the companies we looked at. This doesn't tell us a whole lot on its own, but looking at the performance of the actual business will give us useful context.

You can see, below, how CEO compensation at ePlus has changed over time.

Is ePlus inc. Growing?

ePlus inc. has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 12% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down -3.7%.

This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. The lack of revenue growth isn't ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings.

Has ePlus inc. Been A Good Investment?

Most shareholders would probably be pleased with ePlus inc. for providing a total return of 117% over three years. This strong performance might mean some shareholders don't mind if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for a company of its size.

In Summary...

Remuneration for Mark Marron is close enough to the median pay for a CEO of a similar sized company .

The company is growing earnings per share and total shareholder returns have been pleasing. Indeed, many might consider the pay rather modest, given the solid company performance! CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling ePlus (free visualization of insider trades).

If you want to buy a stock that is better than ePlus, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at [email protected]. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.