Optowide Technologies (SHSE:688195) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 43% over the last three months. We wonder if and what role the company's financials play in that price change as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Optowide Technologies' 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. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

Check out our latest analysis for Optowide Technologies

How Do You 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 Optowide Technologies is:

6.5% = CN¥55m ÷ CN¥847m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. So, this means that for every CN¥1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of CN¥0.06.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And 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.

Optowide Technologies' Earnings Growth And 6.5% ROE

At first glance, Optowide Technologies' ROE doesn't look very promising. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 8.9%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. In spite of this, Optowide Technologies was able to grow its net income considerably, at a rate of 33% in the last five years. So, there might 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.

As a next step, we compared Optowide Technologies' net income growth with the industry, and pleasingly, we found that the growth seen by the company is higher than the average industry growth of 16%.

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. 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 Optowide Technologies''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Optowide Technologies Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Optowide Technologies' three-year median payout ratio is a pretty moderate 29%, meaning the company retains 71% of its income. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Optowide Technologies is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Conclusion

In total, it does look like Optowide Technologies has some positive aspects to its business. Even in spite of the low rate of return, the company has posted impressive earnings growth as a result of reinvesting heavily into its business. 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. You can see the 2 risks we have identified for Optowide Technologies by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

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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.