Do Its Financials Have Any Role To Play In Driving Hubei Kailong Chemical Group Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:002783) Stock Up Recently?

Hubei Kailong Chemical Group's (SZSE:002783) stock is up by a considerable 16% over the past month. 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. Specifically, we decided to study Hubei Kailong Chemical Group's ROE in this article.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

See our latest analysis for Hubei Kailong Chemical Group

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 Hubei Kailong Chemical Group is:

5.9% = CN¥199m ÷ CN¥3.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

The 'return' is the profit 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¥0.06.

Why Is ROE Important For 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. 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.

Hubei Kailong Chemical Group's Earnings Growth And 5.9% ROE

On the face of it, Hubei Kailong Chemical Group's ROE is not much to talk about. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 6.4%, so we won't completely dismiss the company. Even so, Hubei Kailong Chemical Group has shown a fairly decent growth in its net income which grew at a rate of 10%. Considering the moderately low ROE, it is quite possible that there might be some 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.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Hubei Kailong Chemical Group's growth is quite high when compared to the industry average growth of 6.2% in the same period, which is great to see.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. 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. 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 Hubei Kailong Chemical Group is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Hubei Kailong Chemical Group Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Hubei Kailong Chemical Group has a three-year median payout ratio of 31%, which implies that it retains the remaining 69% of its profits. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the decent growth seen by the company, it looks like management is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Besides, Hubei Kailong Chemical Group has been paying dividends over a period of eight years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Conclusion

Overall, we feel that Hubei Kailong Chemical Group certainly does have some positive factors to consider. 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 Hubei Kailong Chemical Group 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.