Do Its Financials Have Any Role To Play In Driving Wafer Works (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.'s (SHSE:688584) Stock Up Recently?

Wafer Works (Shanghai) (SHSE:688584) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 15% over the last month. We wonder if and what role the company's financials play in that price change as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. In this article, we decided to focus on Wafer Works (Shanghai)'s ROE.

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.

Check out our latest analysis for Wafer Works (Shanghai)

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 Wafer Works (Shanghai) is:

4.9% = CN¥206m ÷ CN¥4.2b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 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¥0.05.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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.

Wafer Works (Shanghai)'s Earnings Growth And 4.9% ROE

As you can see, Wafer Works (Shanghai)'s ROE looks pretty weak. Further, we noted that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 5.8%. Moreover, we are quite pleased to see that Wafer Works (Shanghai)'s net income grew significantly at a rate of 20% over the last five years. Given the low ROE, it is likely that there could be some other reasons behind this growth as well. For instance, the company has a low payout ratio or is being managed efficiently.

Next, on comparing Wafer Works (Shanghai)'s net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 20% over the last few years.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. 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. If you're wondering about Wafer Works (Shanghai)'s's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Wafer Works (Shanghai) Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

While the company did pay out a portion of its dividend in the past, it currently doesn't pay a regular dividend. This is likely what's driving the high earnings growth number discussed above.

Conclusion

Overall, we feel that Wafer Works (Shanghai) certainly does have some positive factors to consider. Despite its low rate of return, the fact that the company reinvests a very high portion of its profits into its business, no doubt contributed to its high earnings growth. So far, we've only made a quick discussion around the company's earnings growth. So it may be worth checking this free detailed graph of Wafer Works (Shanghai)'s past earnings, as well as revenue and cash flows to get a deeper insight into the company's performance.

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

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