Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor (SZSE:002249) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 18% over the last three months. 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. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor'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 short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

How Do You 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 Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor is:

8.9% = CN¥813m ÷ CN¥9.2b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each CN¥1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made CN¥0.09 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With 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.

Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor's Earnings Growth And 8.9% ROE

On the face of it, Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor's ROE is not much to talk about. However, the fact that the its ROE is quite higher to the industry average of 6.4% doesn't go unnoticed by us. Even more so after seeing Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor's exceptional 62% net income growth over the past five years. That being said, the company does have a slightly low ROE to begin with, just that it is higher than the industry average. Hence, there might be some other aspects that are causing earnings to grow. For example, it is possible that the broader industry is going through a high growth phase, or that the company has a low payout ratio.

We then compared Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor's net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 10% in the same 5-year period.

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. 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 Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

The high three-year median payout ratio of 84% (implying that it keeps only 16% of profits) for Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor suggests that the company's growth wasn't really hampered despite it returning most of the earnings to its shareholders.

Besides, Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Summary

Overall, we feel that Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor certainly does have some positive factors to consider. Namely, its significant earnings growth, to which its moderate rate of return likely contributed. While the company is paying out most of its earnings as dividends, it has been able to grow its earnings in spite of it, so that's probably a good sign. Until now, we have only just grazed the surface of the company's past performance by looking at the company's fundamentals. You can do your own research on Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor and see how it has performed in the past by looking at this FREE detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flows.

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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.