Most readers would already be aware that Integrity Technology Group's (SHSE:688244) stock increased significantly by 46% over the past month. We wonder if and what role the company's financials play in that price change as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Integrity Technology Group's ROE in this article.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors' money. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
How Is ROE Calculated?
The formula for ROE is:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Integrity Technology Group is:
3.8% = CN¥38m ÷ CN¥999m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. So, this means that for every CN¥1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of CN¥0.04.
What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?
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 all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features.
Integrity Technology Group's Earnings Growth And 3.8% ROE
It is quite clear that Integrity Technology Group's ROE is rather low. An industry comparison shows that the company's ROE is not much different from the industry average of 4.5% either. So we are actually pleased to see that Integrity Technology Group's net income grew at an acceptable rate of 10.0% over the last five years. Given the low ROE, it is likely that there could be some other aspects that are driving this growth as well. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.
As a next step, we compared Integrity Technology Group'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 0.8%.
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 Integrity Technology Group's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Is Integrity Technology Group Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
With a three-year median payout ratio of 36% (implying that the company retains 64% of its profits), it seems that Integrity Technology Group is reinvesting efficiently in a way that it sees respectable amount growth in its earnings and pays a dividend that's well covered.
While Integrity Technology Group has seen growth in its earnings, it only recently started to pay a dividend. It is most likely that the company decided to impress new and existing shareholders with a dividend.
Conclusion
Overall, we feel that Integrity Technology Group certainly does have some positive factors to consider. Despite its low rate of return, the fact that the company reinvests a very high portion of its profits into its business, no doubt contributed to its high 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.