It is hard to get excited after looking at Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals' (SHSE:603087) recent performance, when its stock has declined 18% over the past three months. It is possible that the markets have ignored the company's differing financials and decided to lean-in to the negative sentiment. Long-term fundamentals are usually what drive market outcomes, so it's worth paying close attention. Specifically, we decided to study Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals' ROE in this article.

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.

Check out our latest analysis for Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals

How Is ROE Calculated?

The formula for return on equity is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals is:

9.0% = CN¥882m ÷ CN¥9.8b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.09 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that don't share these attributes.

Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals' Earnings Growth And 9.0% ROE

On the face of it, Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals' ROE is not much to talk about. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 10%. On the other hand, Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals reported a fairly low 4.8% net income growth over the past five years. Remember, the company's ROE is not particularly great to begin with. So this could also be one of the reasons behind the company's low growth in earnings.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals' reported growth was lower than the industry growth of 21% in the same period, which is not something we like to see.

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. 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. Is Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals' low three-year median payout ratio of 16% (or a retention ratio of 84%) should mean that the company is retaining most of its earnings to fuel its growth. However, the low earnings growth number doesn't reflect this fact. So there might be other factors at play here which could potentially be hampering growth. For example, the business has faced some headwinds.

Additionally, Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals started paying a dividend only recently. So it looks like the management must have perceived that shareholders favor dividends over earnings growth.

Summary

Overall, we have mixed feelings about Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals. While the company does have a high rate of reinvestment, the low ROE means that all that reinvestment is not reaping any benefit to its investors, and moreover, its having a negative impact on the earnings growth. That being so, the latest analyst forecasts show that the company will continue to see an expansion in its earnings. 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.