Yahoo Finance Somero Enterprises, Inc.'s (LON:SOM) Stock Has Been Sliding But Fundamentals Look Strong: Is The Market Wrong?
Somero Enterprises (LON:SOM) has had a rough three months with its share price down 15%. But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Somero Enterprises' ROE today.
Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.
View our latest analysis for Somero Enterprises
How Is ROE Calculated?
The formula for ROE is:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Somero Enterprises is:
50% = US$34m ÷ US$68m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. One way to conceptualize this is that for each £1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made £0.50 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. 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.
Somero Enterprises' Earnings Growth And 50% ROE
Firstly, we acknowledge that Somero Enterprises has a significantly high ROE. Second, a comparison with the average ROE reported by the industry of 11% also doesn't go unnoticed by us. This probably laid the groundwork for Somero Enterprises' moderate 14% net income growth seen over the past five years.
We then compared Somero Enterprises' net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 6.4% in the same period.
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. If you're wondering about Somero Enterprises''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Is Somero Enterprises Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
The high three-year median payout ratio of 50% (or a retention ratio of 50%) for Somero Enterprises suggests that the company's growth wasn't really hampered despite it returning most of its income to its shareholders.
Besides, Somero Enterprises has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.
Summary
In total, we are pretty happy with Somero Enterprises' performance. In particular, its high ROE is quite noteworthy and also the probable explanation behind its considerable earnings growth. Yet, the company is retaining a small portion of its profits. Which means that the company has been able to grow its earnings in spite of it, so that's not too bad. With that said, on studying the latest analyst forecasts, we found that while the company has seen growth in its past earnings, analysts expect its future earnings to shrink. 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.
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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.
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