Most readers would already be aware that Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics' (SHSE:603118) stock increased significantly by 47% over the past month. But the company's key financial indicators appear to be differing across the board and that makes us question whether or not the company's current share price momentum can be maintained. Specifically, we decided to study Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics' ROE in this article.
Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
Check out our latest analysis for Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics
ROE can be calculated by using the formula:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics is:
0.9% = CN¥45m ÷ CN¥5.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).
The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each CN¥1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made CN¥0.01 in profit.
We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Assuming everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics.
It is hard to argue that Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics' ROE is much good in and of itself. Even when compared to the industry average of 6.7%, the ROE figure is pretty disappointing. Therefore, the disappointing ROE therefore provides a background to Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics' very little net income growth of 2.0% over the past five years.
Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics' reported growth was lower than the industry growth of 13% over the last few years, which is not something we like to see.
Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. If you're wondering about Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Despite having a normal three-year median payout ratio of 30% (or a retention ratio of 70% over the past three years, Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics has seen very little growth in earnings as we saw above. So there could be some other explanation in that regard. For instance, the company's business may be deteriorating.
Moreover, Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics has been paying dividends for nine years, which is a considerable amount of time, suggesting that management must have perceived that the shareholders prefer dividends over earnings growth.
Overall, we have mixed feelings about Shenzhen Gongjin Electronics. While the company does have a high rate of reinvestment, the low ROE means that all that reinvestment is not reaping any benefit to its investors, and moreover, its having a negative impact on the earnings growth. That being so, the latest analyst forecasts show that the company will continue to see an expansion in its earnings. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.
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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.