Nemetschek SE's (ETR:NEM) Stock Has Been Sliding But Fundamentals Look Strong: Is The Market Wrong?

Nemetschek (ETR:NEM) has had a rough three months with its share price down 30%. However, stock prices are usually driven by a company’s financial performance over the long term, which in this case looks quite promising. Specifically, we decided to study Nemetschek'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 simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

View our latest analysis for Nemetschek

How Is ROE Calculated?

The formula for ROE is:

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

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Nemetschek is:

26% = €128m ÷ €498m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that for every €1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated €0.26 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. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. 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.

A Side By Side comparison of Nemetschek's Earnings Growth And 26% ROE

First thing first, we like that Nemetschek has an impressive ROE. Secondly, even when compared to the industry average of 15% the company's ROE is quite impressive. Probably as a result of this, Nemetschek was able to see a decent net income growth of 18% over the last five years.

Next, on comparing Nemetschek's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 18% in the same period.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. 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. What is NEM worth today? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether NEM is currently mispriced by the market.

Is Nemetschek Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Nemetschek has a healthy combination of a moderate three-year median payout ratio of 33% (or a retention ratio of 67%) and a respectable amount of growth in earnings as we saw above, meaning that the company has been making efficient use of its profits.

Additionally, Nemetschek has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 32%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that Nemetschek's future ROE will be 24% which is again, similar to the current ROE.

Conclusion

On the whole, we feel that Nemetschek's performance has been quite good. Specifically, we like that the company is reinvesting a huge chunk of its profits at a high rate of return. This of course has caused the company to see substantial growth in its earnings. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.

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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.