Jiangsu Maysta Chemical's (SHSE:603041) stock is up by a considerable 23% over the past week. 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. Specifically, we decided to study Jiangsu Maysta Chemical'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.

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Jiangsu Maysta Chemical is:

7.3% = CN¥105m ÷ CN¥1.4b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.07 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. 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. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that don't share these attributes.

A Side By Side comparison of Jiangsu Maysta Chemical's Earnings Growth And 7.3% ROE

On the face of it, Jiangsu Maysta Chemical's ROE is not much to talk about. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 6.8%. Having said that, Jiangsu Maysta Chemical has shown a modest net income growth of 9.5% 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. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Jiangsu Maysta Chemical's reported growth was lower than the industry growth of 12% over the last few years, which is not something we like to see.

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. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. If you're wondering about Jiangsu Maysta Chemical's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Jiangsu Maysta Chemical Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

With a three-year median payout ratio of 28% (implying that the company retains 72% of its profits), it seems that Jiangsu Maysta Chemical is reinvesting efficiently in a way that it sees respectable amount growth in its earnings and pays a dividend that's well covered.

Additionally, Jiangsu Maysta Chemical has paid dividends over a period of six years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.

Conclusion

Overall, we feel that Jiangsu Maysta Chemical certainly does have some positive factors to consider. Specifically, its fairly high earnings growth number, which no doubt was backed by the company's high earnings retention. Still, the low ROE means that all that reinvestment is not reaping a lot of benefit to the investors. 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. You can see the 2 risks we have identified for Jiangsu Maysta Chemical by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

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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.