Stock Analysis

Progressive Planet Solutions Inc.'s (CVE:PLAN) Stock On An Uptrend: Could Fundamentals Be Driving The Momentum?

TSXV:PLAN
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Progressive Planet Solutions (CVE:PLAN) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 11% over the last week. Given that stock prices are usually aligned with a company's financial performance in the long-term, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely to see if they had a hand to play in the recent price move. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Progressive Planet Solutions' 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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

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 Progressive Planet Solutions is:

7.5% = CA$1.0m ÷ CA$14m (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2025).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every CA$1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn CA$0.08 in profit.

See our latest analysis for Progressive Planet Solutions

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. 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. 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.

A Side By Side comparison of Progressive Planet Solutions' Earnings Growth And 7.5% ROE

At first glance, Progressive Planet Solutions' ROE doesn't look very promising. A quick further study shows that the company's ROE doesn't compare favorably to the industry average of 10% either. Despite this, surprisingly, Progressive Planet Solutions saw an exceptional 29% net income growth over the past 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 Progressive Planet Solutions' 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 21%.

past-earnings-growth
TSXV:PLAN Past Earnings Growth March 26th 2025

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. 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. Is Progressive Planet Solutions fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Progressive Planet Solutions Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Given that Progressive Planet Solutions doesn't pay any regular dividends to its shareholders, we infer that the company has been reinvesting all of its profits to grow its business.

Summary

Overall, we feel that Progressive Planet Solutions certainly does have some positive factors to consider. With a high rate of reinvestment, albeit at a low ROE, the company has managed to see a considerable growth in its earnings. 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. To know the 3 risks we have identified for Progressive Planet Solutions 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.