Most readers would already be aware that Sanxiang Advanced Materials' (SHSE:603663) stock increased significantly by 14% over the past month. Given the company's impressive performance, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely as a company's financial health over the long-term usually dictates market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Sanxiang Advanced Materials' 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 other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for Sanxiang Advanced Materials

How Is ROE Calculated?

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 Sanxiang Advanced Materials is:

13% = CN¥176m ÷ CN¥1.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every CN¥1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn CN¥0.13 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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.

Sanxiang Advanced Materials' Earnings Growth And 13% ROE

To begin with, Sanxiang Advanced Materials seems to have a respectable ROE. Especially when compared to the industry average of 8.3% the company's ROE looks pretty impressive. This certainly adds some context to Sanxiang Advanced Materials' decent 17% net income growth seen over the past five years.

We then performed a comparison between Sanxiang Advanced Materials' net income growth with the industry, which revealed that the company's growth is similar to the average industry growth of 16% in the same 5-year period.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is Sanxiang Advanced Materials fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Sanxiang Advanced Materials Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Sanxiang Advanced Materials' three-year median payout ratio to shareholders is 21% (implying that it retains 79% of its income), which is on the lower side, so it seems like the management is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business.

Besides, Sanxiang Advanced Materials has been paying dividends over a period of six years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Conclusion

In total, we are pretty happy with Sanxiang Advanced Materials' performance. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. If the company continues to grow its earnings the way it has, that could have a positive impact on its share price given how earnings per share influence long-term share prices. Remember, the price of a stock is also dependent on the perceived risk. Therefore investors must keep themselves informed about the risks involved before investing in any company. To know the 1 risk we have identified for Sanxiang Advanced Materials visit our risks dashboard for free.

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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.