Oriental Pearl GroupLtd (SHSE:600637) has had a rough three months with its share price down 11%. We decided to study the company's financials to determine if the downtrend will continue as the long-term performance of a company usually dictates market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's ROE in this article.
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 simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.
See our latest analysis for Oriental Pearl GroupLtd
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 Oriental Pearl GroupLtd is:
1.3% = CN¥442m ÷ CN¥35b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).
The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.01 in profit.
Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?
So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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.
A Side By Side comparison of Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's Earnings Growth And 1.3% ROE
As you can see, Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's ROE looks pretty weak. Even compared to the average industry ROE of 6.3%, the company's ROE is quite dismal. For this reason, Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's five year net income decline of 23% is not surprising given its lower ROE. We believe that there also might be other aspects that are negatively influencing the company's earnings prospects. For example, the business has allocated capital poorly, or that the company has a very high payout ratio.
However, when we compared Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's growth with the industry we found that while the company's earnings have been shrinking, the industry has seen an earnings growth of 3.2% in the same period. This is quite worrisome.
Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. 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 Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Is Oriental Pearl GroupLtd Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
With a high three-year median payout ratio of 63% (implying that 37% of the profits are retained), most of Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's profits are being paid to shareholders, which explains the company's shrinking earnings. With only very little left to reinvest into the business, growth in earnings is far from likely. To know the 3 risks we have identified for Oriental Pearl GroupLtd visit our risks dashboard for free.
In addition, Oriental Pearl GroupLtd has been paying dividends over a period of at least ten years suggesting that keeping up dividend payments is way more important to the management even if it comes at the cost of business growth.
Conclusion
In total, we would have a hard think before deciding on any investment action concerning Oriental Pearl GroupLtd. The company has seen a lack of earnings growth as a result of retaining very little profits and whatever little it does retain, is being reinvested at a very low rate of return. With that said, we studied the latest analyst forecasts and found that while the company has shrunk its earnings in the past, analysts expect its earnings to grow in the future. 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.