Could The Market Be Wrong About Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (SHSE:603229) Given Its Attractive Financial Prospects?

Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical (SHSE:603229) has had a rough month with its share price down 11%. But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. In this article, we decided to focus on Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical's ROE.

Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

See our latest analysis for Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for ROE is:

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

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical is:

12% = CN¥273m ÷ CN¥2.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every CN¥1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated CN¥0.12 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And 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 Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical's Earnings Growth And 12% ROE

To begin with, Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical seems to have a respectable ROE. On comparing with the average industry ROE of 7.7% the company's ROE looks pretty remarkable. This probably laid the ground for Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical's significant 35% net income growth seen over the past five years. We reckon that there could also be other factors at play here. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.

As a next step, we compared Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical's 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 9.2%.

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. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical's ' three-year median payout ratio is on the lower side at 17% implying that it is retaining a higher percentage (83%) of its profits. So it seems like the management is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business and this reflects in its earnings growth number.

Additionally, Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical has paid dividends over a period of six years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.

Conclusion

Overall, we are quite pleased with Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical's performance. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. If the company continues to grow its earnings the way it has, that could have a positive impact on its share price given how earnings per share influence long-term share prices. Not to forget, share price outcomes are also dependent on the potential risks a company may face. So it is important for investors to be aware of the risks involved in the business. Our risks dashboard will have the 1 risk we have identified for Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com