Amoy Diagnostics (SZSE:300685) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 11% over the last month. Given the company's impressive performance, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely as a company's financial health over the long-term usually dictates market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Amoy Diagnostics' 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?

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 Amoy Diagnostics is:

13% = CN¥214m ÷ CN¥1.6b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax 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¥0.13 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a company's earnings growth potential. 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.

Amoy Diagnostics' Earnings Growth And 13% ROE

To start with, Amoy Diagnostics' ROE looks acceptable. On comparing with the average industry ROE of 6.2% the company's ROE looks pretty remarkable. This probably laid the ground for Amoy Diagnostics' moderate 18% net income growth seen over the past five years.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Amoy Diagnostics' growth is quite high when compared to the industry average growth of 7.9% 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. 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 Amoy Diagnostics''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Amoy Diagnostics Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Amoy Diagnostics' three-year median payout ratio to shareholders is 24% (implying that it retains 76% of its income), which is on the lower side, so it seems like the management is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business.

Besides, Amoy Diagnostics has been paying dividends over a period of six years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 23%. Still, forecasts suggest that Amoy Diagnostics' future ROE will rise to 17% even though the the company's payout ratio is not expected to change by much.

Summary

In total, we are pretty happy with Amoy Diagnostics' performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings are expected to accelerate. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.

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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.