Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd (SZSE:002393) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 14% over the last week. 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 Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd's ROE in this article.

Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. 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 Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd is:

7.6% = CN¥373m ÷ CN¥4.9b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each CN¥1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made CN¥0.08 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. 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 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.

Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd's Earnings Growth And 7.6% ROE

On the face of it, Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd's ROE is not much to talk about. However, given that the company's ROE is similar to the average industry ROE of 7.6%, we may spare it some thought. On the other hand, Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd reported a moderate 20% 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.

As a next step, we compared Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd'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 9.0%.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. One good indicator of expected earnings growth is the P/E ratio which determines the price the market is willing to pay for a stock based on its earnings prospects. So, you may want to check if Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd has a three-year median payout ratio of 43%, which implies that it retains the remaining 57% 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, Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd 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

On the whole, we do feel that Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd has some positive attributes. 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. While we won't completely dismiss the company, what we would do, is try to ascertain how risky the business is to make a more informed decision around the company. Our risks dashboard would have the 2 risks we have identified for Tianjin Lisheng PharmaceuticalLtd.

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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.