Yahoo Finance Are De La Rue plc's (LON:DLAR) Mixed Financials The Reason For Its Gloomy Performance on The Stock Market?
De La Rue (LON:DLAR) has had a rough month with its share price down 13%. We, however decided to study the company's financials to determine if they have got anything to do with the price decline. Fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes so it makes sense to study the company's financials. In this article, we decided to focus on De La Rue's ROE.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.
View our latest analysis for De La Rue
How Do You 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 De La Rue is:
7.6% = UK£8.5m ÷ UK£111m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2021).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every £1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated £0.08 in profit.
Why Is ROE Important For 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 everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics.
De La Rue's Earnings Growth And 7.6% ROE
When you first look at it, De La Rue's ROE doesn't look that attractive. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 8.6%. But then again, De La Rue's five year net income shrunk at a rate of 16%. Bear in mind, the company does have a slightly low ROE. So that's what might be causing earnings growth to shrink.
However, when we compared De La Rue's growth with the industry we found that while the company's earnings have been shrinking, the industry has seen an earnings growth of 5.0% in the same period. This is quite worrisome.
Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is DLAR fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.
Is De La Rue Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
While the company did payout a portion of its dividend in the past, it currently doesn't pay a dividend. This implies that potentially all of its profits are being reinvested in the business.
Summary
In total, we're a bit ambivalent about De La Rue's performance. Even though it appears to be retaining most of its profits, given the low ROE, investors may not be benefitting from all that reinvestment after all. The low earnings growth suggests our theory correct. Having said that, looking at current analyst estimates, we found that the company's earnings growth rate is expected to see a huge improvement. 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.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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