It is hard to get excited after looking at Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd's (SZSE:000948) recent performance, when its stock has declined 12% over the past three months. 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. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd'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. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

See our latest analysis for Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd

How Is ROE Calculated?

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 Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd is:

6.1% = CN¥155m ÷ CN¥2.5b (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¥0.06 in profit.

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. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. 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 Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd's Earnings Growth And 6.1% ROE

At first glance, Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd's ROE doesn't look very promising. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 5.8%, so we won't completely dismiss the company. On the other hand, Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd reported a moderate 16% net income growth over the past five years. Given the slightly low ROE, it is likely that there could be some other aspects that are driving this 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.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd's growth is quite high when compared to the industry average growth of 7.0% in the same period, which is great to see.

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. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

In Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd's case, its respectable earnings growth can probably be explained by its low three-year median payout ratio of 16% (or a retention ratio of 84%), which suggests that the company is investing most of its profits to grow its business.

Besides, Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Conclusion

Overall, we feel that Yunnan Nantian Electronics InformationLtd certainly does have some positive factors to consider. Even in spite of the low rate of return, the company has posted impressive earnings growth as a result of reinvesting heavily into its business.

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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.