Sinoma Energy Conservation's (SHSE:603126) stock is up by a considerable 14% over the past week. As most would know, fundamentals are what usually guide market price movements over the long-term, so we decided to look at the company's key financial indicators today to determine if they have any role to play in the recent price movement. Specifically, we decided to study Sinoma Energy Conservation's ROE in this article.

Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

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 Sinoma Energy Conservation is:

7.3% = CN¥186m ÷ CN¥2.5b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.07 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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.

Sinoma Energy Conservation's Earnings Growth And 7.3% ROE

When you first look at it, Sinoma Energy Conservation's ROE doesn't look that attractive. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 6.3%. On the other hand, Sinoma Energy Conservation reported a moderate 6.4% net income growth over the past five years. Given the slightly low ROE, it is likely that there could be some other aspects that are driving this growth. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.

Next, on comparing Sinoma Energy Conservation's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 7.3% over the last few years.

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. 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 Sinoma Energy Conservation's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Sinoma Energy Conservation Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Sinoma Energy Conservation has a healthy combination of a moderate three-year median payout ratio of 35% (or a retention ratio of 65%) and a respectable amount of growth in earnings as we saw above, meaning that the company has been making efficient use of its profits.

Additionally, Sinoma Energy Conservation has paid dividends over a period of nine years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.

Conclusion

On the whole, we do feel that Sinoma Energy Conservation has some positive attributes. Despite its low rate of return, the fact that the company reinvests a very high portion of its profits into its business, no doubt contributed to its high earnings growth. While we won't completely dismiss the company, what we would do, is try to ascertain how risky the business is to make a more informed decision around the company. Our risks dashboard will have the 1 risk we have identified for Sinoma Energy Conservation.

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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.