LBX Pharmacy Chain (SHSE:603883) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 11% over the last month. Given that the market rewards strong financials in the long-term, we wonder if that is the case in this instance. In this article, we decided to focus on LBX Pharmacy Chain's ROE.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

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 LBX Pharmacy Chain is:

15% = CN¥1.1b ÷ CN¥7.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every CN¥1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn CN¥0.15 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.

LBX Pharmacy Chain's Earnings Growth And 15% ROE

To begin with, LBX Pharmacy Chain seems to have a respectable ROE. Especially when compared to the industry average of 8.4% the company's ROE looks pretty impressive. Probably as a result of this, LBX Pharmacy Chain was able to see a decent growth of 14% over the last five years.

Next, on comparing LBX Pharmacy Chain's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 13% over the last few years.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. It's important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is LBX Pharmacy Chain fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is LBX Pharmacy Chain Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

LBX Pharmacy Chain has a three-year median payout ratio of 30%, which implies that it retains the remaining 70% of its profits. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the decent growth seen by the company, it looks like management is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Besides, LBX Pharmacy Chain has been paying dividends over a period of eight years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company over the next three years is expected to be approximately 32%. As a result, LBX Pharmacy Chain's ROE is not expected to change by much either, which we inferred from the analyst estimate of 15% for future ROE.

Conclusion

On the whole, we feel that LBX Pharmacy Chain's performance has been quite good. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. 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.