It is hard to get excited after looking at Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery's (SHSE:605286) recent performance, when its stock has declined 34% over the past three months. But if you pay close attention, you might find that its key financial indicators look quite decent, which could mean that the stock could potentially rise in the long-term given how markets usually reward more resilient long-term fundamentals. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery's 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 short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

See our latest analysis for Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery

How Is ROE Calculated?

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 Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery is:

6.3% = CN¥118m ÷ CN¥1.9b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every CN¥1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn CN¥0.06 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And 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. 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.

Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery's Earnings Growth And 6.3% ROE

On the face of it, Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery's ROE is not much to talk about. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 7.4%, so we won't completely dismiss the company. Having said that, Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery has shown a modest net income growth of 6.2% over the past five years. Taking into consideration that the ROE is not particularly high, we reckon that there could also be other factors at play which could be influencing the company's growth. For example, it is possible that the company's management has made some good strategic decisions, or that the company has a low payout ratio.

As a next step, we compared Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery's net income growth with the industry and were disappointed to see that the company's growth is lower than the industry average growth of 11% in the same period.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. 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. One good indicator of expected earnings growth is the P/E ratio which determines the price the market is willing to pay for a stock based on its earnings prospects. So, you may want to check if Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

In Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery's case, its respectable earnings growth can probably be explained by its low three-year median payout ratio of 13% (or a retention ratio of 87%), which suggests that the company is investing most of its profits to grow its business.

While Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery has seen growth in its earnings, it only recently started to pay a dividend. It is most likely that the company decided to impress new and existing shareholders with a dividend.

Summary

On the whole, we do feel that Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery has some positive attributes. Namely, its respectable earnings growth, which it achieved due to it retaining most of its profits. However, given the low ROE, investors may not be benefitting from all that reinvestment after all. 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 1 risk we have identified for Jiangsu Tongli Risheng Machinery 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.