Shenzhen Microgate Technology (SZSE:300319) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 62% over the last three months. Given that stock prices are usually aligned with a company's financial performance in the long-term, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely to see if they had a hand to play in the recent price move. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Shenzhen Microgate Technology'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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

Return on equity 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 Shenzhen Microgate Technology is:

7.5% = CN¥334m ÷ CN¥4.5b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. So, this means that for every CN¥1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of CN¥0.07.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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 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.

Shenzhen Microgate Technology's Earnings Growth And 7.5% ROE

At first glance, Shenzhen Microgate Technology's ROE doesn't look very promising. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 6.3%. Looking at Shenzhen Microgate Technology's exceptional 30% five-year net income growth in particular, we are definitely impressed. Given the slightly low ROE, it is likely that there could be some other aspects that are driving this growth. For instance, the company has a low payout ratio or is being managed efficiently.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Shenzhen Microgate Technology's growth is quite high when compared to the industry average growth of 3.9% 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. 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 Shenzhen Microgate Technology fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Shenzhen Microgate Technology Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

The three-year median payout ratio for Shenzhen Microgate Technology is 27%, which is moderately low. The company is retaining the remaining 73%. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Shenzhen Microgate Technology is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Additionally, Shenzhen Microgate Technology has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.

Conclusion

Overall, we feel that Shenzhen Microgate Technology 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. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down. 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.