Yahoo Finance Warpaint London PLC's (LON:W7L) Dismal Stock Performance Reflects Weak Fundamentals
Warpaint London (LON:W7L) has had a rough month with its share price down 5.7%. To decide if this trend could continue, we decided to look at its weak fundamentals as they shape the long-term market trends. In this article, we decided to focus on Warpaint London's ROE.
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.
View our latest analysis for Warpaint London
How To Calculate Return On Equity?
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 Warpaint London is:
7.8% = UK£2.8m ÷ UK£36m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every £1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated £0.08 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. 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.
A Side By Side comparison of Warpaint London's Earnings Growth And 7.8% ROE
At first glance, Warpaint London's ROE doesn't look very promising. However, given that the company's ROE is similar to the average industry ROE of 9.3%, we may spare it some thought. But then again, Warpaint London's five year net income shrunk at a rate of 35%. Bear in mind, the company does have a slightly low ROE. So that's what might be causing earnings growth to shrink.
Furthermore, even when compared to the industry, which has been shrinking its earnings at a rate 1.2% in the same period, we found that Warpaint London's performance is pretty disappointing, as it suggests that the company has been shrunk its earnings at a rate faster than the industry.
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. What is W7L worth today? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether W7L is currently mispriced by the market.
Is Warpaint London Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
Warpaint London's very high three-year median payout ratio of 121% over the last three years suggests that the company is paying its shareholders more than what it is earning and this explains the company's shrinking earnings. Paying a dividend beyond their means is usually not viable over the long term. Our risks dashboard should have the 2 risks we have identified for Warpaint London.
In addition, Warpaint London has been paying dividends over a period of five years suggesting that keeping up dividend payments is preferred by the management even though earnings have been in decline. Existing analyst estimates suggest that the company's future payout ratio is expected to drop to 67% over the next three years.
Conclusion
On the whole, Warpaint London's performance is quite a big let-down. The low ROE, combined with the fact that the company is paying out almost if not all, of its profits as dividends, has resulted in the lack or absence of growth in its earnings. So far, we've only made a quick discussion around the company's earnings growth. You can do your own research on Warpaint London and see how it has performed in the past by looking at this FREE detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flows.
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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.
