Most readers would already be aware that Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's (SZSE:300468) stock increased significantly by 8.9% over the past week. However, we wonder if the company's inconsistent financials would have any adverse impact on the current share price momentum. In this article, we decided to focus on Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's ROE.

Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

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 Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information is:

2.9% = CN¥47m ÷ CN¥1.6b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. So, this means that for every CN¥1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of CN¥0.03.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

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

Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's Earnings Growth And 2.9% ROE

It is quite clear that Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's ROE is rather low. Even when compared to the industry average of 5.0%, the ROE figure is pretty disappointing. For this reason, Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's five year net income decline of 10% is not surprising given its lower ROE. We reckon that there could also be other factors at play here. For instance, the company has a very high payout ratio, or is faced with competitive pressures.

However, when we compared Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's growth with the industry we found that while the company's earnings have been shrinking, the industry has seen an earnings growth of 4.1% in the same period. This is quite worrisome.

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 Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

In spite of a normal three-year median payout ratio of 44% (that is, a retention ratio of 56%), the fact that Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information's earnings have shrunk is quite puzzling. So there might be other factors at play here which could potentially be hampering growth. For example, the business has faced some headwinds.

Moreover, Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information has been paying dividends for eight years, which is a considerable amount of time, suggesting that management must have perceived that the shareholders prefer consistent dividends even though earnings have been shrinking.

Summary

Overall, we have mixed feelings about Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information. While the company does have a high rate of profit retention, its low rate of return is probably hampering its earnings growth. Wrapping up, we would proceed with caution with this company and one way of doing that would be to look at the risk profile of the business. To know the 2 risks we have identified for Shenzhen Forms Syntron Information visit our risks dashboard for free.

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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.