With its stock down 25% over the past three months, it is easy to disregard XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd (SHSE:688778). But if you pay close attention, you might find that its key financial indicators look quite decent, which could mean that the stock could potentially rise in the long-term given how markets usually reward more resilient long-term fundamentals. In this article, we decided to focus on XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd's ROE.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors' money. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

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 XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd is:

5.9% = CN¥513m ÷ CN¥8.8b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every CN¥1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn CN¥0.06 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With 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. 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.

A Side By Side comparison of XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd's Earnings Growth And 5.9% ROE

At first glance, XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd's ROE doesn't look very promising. However, given that the company's ROE is similar to the average industry ROE of 7.0%, we may spare it some thought. Even so, XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd has shown a fairly decent growth in its net income which grew at a rate of 18%. Considering the moderately low ROE, it is quite possible that there might be some other aspects that are positively influencing the company's earnings growth. For example, it is possible that the company's management has made some good strategic decisions, or that the company has a low payout ratio.

As a next step, we compared XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd's net income growth with the industry, and pleasingly, we found that the growth seen by the company is higher than the average industry growth of 12%.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. It's important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. If you're wondering about XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

In XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd's case, its respectable earnings growth can probably be explained by its low three-year median payout ratio of 18% (or a retention ratio of 82%), which suggests that the company is investing most of its profits to grow its business.

Besides, XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd has been paying dividends over a period of three years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Summary

Overall, we feel that XTC New Energy Materials(Xiamen)Ltd certainly does have some positive factors to consider. With a high rate of reinvestment, albeit at a low ROE, the company has managed to see a considerable growth in its earnings. Having said that, looking at the current analyst estimates, we found that the company's earnings are expected to gain momentum. 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.