Yahoo Finance Hochschild Mining plc (LON:HOC) Stock's On A Decline: Are Poor Fundamentals The Cause?
It is hard to get excited after looking at Hochschild Mining's (LON:HOC) recent performance, when its stock has declined 12% over the past three months. To decide if this trend could continue, we decided to look at its weak fundamentals as they shape the long-term market trends. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Hochschild Mining's ROE today.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.
See our latest analysis for Hochschild Mining
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 Hochschild Mining is:
9.4% = US$71m ÷ US$759m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. Another way to think of that is that for every £1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn £0.09 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. 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 Hochschild Mining's Earnings Growth And 9.4% ROE
To begin with, Hochschild Mining seems to have a respectable ROE. Be that as it may, the company's ROE is still quite lower than the industry average of 18%. Additionally, the low net income growth of 4.5% seen by Hochschild Mining over the past five years doesn't paint a very bright picture. Bear in mind, the company does have a respectable level of ROE. It is just that the industry ROE is higher. Hence there might be some other aspects that are keeping growth in earnings low. Such as, the company pays out a huge portion of its earnings as dividends, or is facing competitive pressures.
We then compared Hochschild Mining's net income growth with the industry and found that the company's growth figure is lower than the average industry growth rate of 20% in the same period, which is a bit concerning.
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. Is Hochschild Mining fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.
Is Hochschild Mining Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
Hochschild Mining's very high three-year median payout ratio of 116% suggests that the company is paying its shareholders more than what it is earning and it definitely contributes to the low earnings growth seen by the company. This is quite a risky position to be in. You can see the 3 risks we have identified for Hochschild Mining by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.
In addition, Hochschild Mining 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. Existing analyst estimates suggest that the company's future payout ratio is expected to drop to 31% over the next three years. Accordingly, the expected drop in the payout ratio explains the expected increase in the company's ROE to 13%, over the same period.
Summary
In total, we would have a hard think before deciding on any investment action concerning Hochschild Mining. While its ROE is pretty moderate, the company is retaining very little of its profits, meaning very little of its profits are being reinvested into the business. This explains the lack or absence of growth in its earnings. Having said that, on studying current analyst estimates, we were concerned to see that while the company has grown its earnings in the past, analysts expect its earnings to shrink in the future. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts 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.
