Aier Eye Hospital Group (SZSE:300015) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 37% over the last three months. Given the company's impressive performance, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely as a company's financial health over the long-term usually dictates market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Aier Eye Hospital Group's ROE in this article.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

View our latest analysis for Aier Eye Hospital Group

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 Aier Eye Hospital Group is:

20% = CN¥2.6b ÷ CN¥13b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.20 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a company's earnings growth potential. 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.

Aier Eye Hospital Group's Earnings Growth And 20% ROE

At first glance, Aier Eye Hospital Group seems to have a decent ROE. Further, the company's ROE compares quite favorably to the industry average of 10%. This certainly adds some context to Aier Eye Hospital Group's exceptional 27% net income growth seen over the past five years. We believe that there might also be other aspects that are positively influencing the company's earnings growth. For instance, the company has a low payout ratio or is being managed efficiently.

We then compared Aier Eye Hospital Group's 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 11% in the same period.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. It's important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Has the market priced in the future outlook for 300015? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report.

Is Aier Eye Hospital Group Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Aier Eye Hospital Group's three-year median payout ratio is a pretty moderate 34%, meaning the company retains 66% of its income. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Aier Eye Hospital Group is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Moreover, Aier Eye Hospital Group is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company over the next three years is expected to be approximately 32%. Still, forecasts suggest that Aier Eye Hospital Group's future ROE will rise to 25% even though the the company's payout ratio is not expected to change by much.

Conclusion

In total, we are pretty happy with Aier Eye Hospital Group's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. The latest industry analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to maintain its current growth rate. 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.