Yahoo Finance Could The Market Be Wrong About Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN) Given Its Attractive Financial Prospects?
It is hard to get excited after looking at Schnitzer Steel Industries' (NASDAQ:SCHN) recent performance, when its stock has declined 40% over the past three months. However, a closer look at its sound financials might cause you to think again. Given that fundamentals usually drive long-term market outcomes, the company is worth looking at. Specifically, we decided to study Schnitzer Steel Industries' ROE in this article.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.
See our latest analysis for Schnitzer Steel Industries
How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?
ROE 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 Schnitzer Steel Industries is:
21% = US$205m ÷ US$968m (Based on the trailing twelve months to May 2022).
The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.21 in profit.
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. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. 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.
Schnitzer Steel Industries' Earnings Growth And 21% ROE
To start with, Schnitzer Steel Industries' ROE looks acceptable. And on comparing with the industry, we found that the the average industry ROE is similar at 21%. This probably goes some way in explaining Schnitzer Steel Industries' moderate 16% growth over the past five years amongst other factors.
As a next step, we compared Schnitzer Steel Industries' net income growth with the industry and were disappointed to see that the company's growth is lower than the industry average growth of 24% in the same period.
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. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is Schnitzer Steel Industries fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.
Is Schnitzer Steel Industries Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?
In Schnitzer Steel Industries' case, its respectable earnings growth can probably be explained by its low three-year median payout ratio of 20% (or a retention ratio of 80%), which suggests that the company is investing most of its profits to grow its business.
Additionally, Schnitzer Steel Industries 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. Upon studying the latest analysts' consensus data, we found that the company's future payout ratio is expected to drop to 14% over the next three years.
Summary
On the whole, we feel that Schnitzer Steel Industries' performance has been quite good. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. As a result, the decent growth in its earnings is not surprising. That being so, according to the latest industry analyst forecasts, the company's earnings are expected to shrink in the future. 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
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