Most readers would already be aware that Silkroad Visual Technology's (SZSE:300556) stock increased significantly by 15% over the past week. However, we decided to pay attention to the company's fundamentals which don't appear to give a clear sign about the company's financial health. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Silkroad Visual Technology's ROE today.

Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

View our latest analysis for Silkroad Visual Technology

How Is ROE Calculated?

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 Silkroad Visual Technology is:

3.5% = CN¥32m ÷ CN¥924m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.04 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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. 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.

Silkroad Visual Technology's Earnings Growth And 3.5% ROE

It is hard to argue that Silkroad Visual Technology's ROE is much good in and of itself. Even when compared to the industry average of 6.9%, the ROE figure is pretty disappointing. Hence, the flat earnings seen by Silkroad Visual Technology over the past five years could probably be the result of it having a lower ROE.

We then compared Silkroad Visual Technology's net income growth with the industry and found that the company's growth figure is lower than the average industry growth rate of 3.5% in the same 5-year period, which is a bit concerning.

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. Is Silkroad Visual Technology fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Silkroad Visual Technology Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Silkroad Visual Technology's low three-year median payout ratio of 15% (implying that the company keeps85% of its income) should mean that the company is retaining most of its earnings to fuel its growth and this should be reflected in its growth number, but that's not the case.

Additionally, Silkroad Visual Technology has paid dividends over a period of six years, which means that the company's management is determined to pay dividends even if it means little to no earnings growth.

Summary

In total, we're a bit ambivalent about Silkroad Visual Technology's performance. 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. Up till now, we've only made a short study of the company's growth data. To gain further insights into Silkroad Visual Technology's past profit growth, check out this visualization of past earnings, revenue and cash flows.

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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.