Zhejiang ZUCH Technology (SZSE:301280) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 12% over the last week. Given that the market rewards strong financials in the long-term, we wonder if that is the case in this instance. Specifically, we decided to study Zhejiang ZUCH Technology's ROE in this article.
Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.
View our latest analysis for Zhejiang ZUCH Technology
The formula for return on equity is:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Zhejiang ZUCH Technology is:
11% = CN¥185m ÷ CN¥1.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).
The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.11 in profit.
So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a company’s earnings growth potential. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that don’t share these attributes.
At first glance, Zhejiang ZUCH Technology's ROE doesn't look very promising. Although a closer study shows that the company's ROE is higher than the industry average of 6.4% which we definitely can't overlook. This probably goes some way in explaining Zhejiang ZUCH Technology's moderate 14% growth over the past five years amongst other factors. Bear in mind, the company does have a moderately low ROE. It is just that the industry ROE is lower. Hence there might be some other aspects that are causing earnings to grow. For example, it is possible that the broader industry is going through a high growth phase, or that the company has a low payout ratio.
We then compared Zhejiang ZUCH Technology's net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 4.8% in the same 5-year period.
The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. If you're wondering about Zhejiang ZUCH Technology's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
With a three-year median payout ratio of 46% (implying that the company retains 54% of its profits), it seems that Zhejiang ZUCH Technology is reinvesting efficiently in a way that it sees respectable amount growth in its earnings and pays a dividend that's well covered.
Along with seeing a growth in earnings, Zhejiang ZUCH Technology only recently started paying dividends. Its quite possible that the company was looking to impress its shareholders.
Overall, we are quite pleased with Zhejiang ZUCH Technology's performance. Specifically, we like that it has been reinvesting a high portion of its profits at a moderate rate of return, resulting in earnings expansion. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings are expected to accelerate. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.
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.