Colefax Group PLC's (LON:CFX) Has Performed Well But Fundamentals Look Varied: Is There A Clear Direction For The Stock?

Colefax Group's (LON:CFX) stock up by 3.8% over the past three months. Given that the stock prices usually follow long-term business performance, we wonder if the company's mixed financials could have any adverse effect on its current price price movement In this article, we decided to focus on Colefax Group'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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

See our latest analysis for Colefax Group

How Is ROE Calculated?

ROE 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 Colefax Group is:

6.8% = UK£1.9m ÷ UK£28m (Based on the trailing twelve months to April 2020).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. So, this means that for every £1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of £0.07.

Why Is ROE Important For 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.

Colefax Group's Earnings Growth And 6.8% ROE

When you first look at it, Colefax Group's ROE doesn't look that attractive. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 6.6%, so we won't completely dismiss the company. Having said that, Colefax Group's net income growth over the past five years is more or less flat. Bear in mind, the company's ROE is not very high. Hence, this provides some context to the flat earnings growth seen by the company.

We then compared Colefax Group's net income growth with the industry and found that the average industry growth rate was 7.8% in the same period.

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. 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. If you're wondering about Colefax Group's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Colefax Group 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 dividend. We infer that the company has been reinvesting all of its profits to grow its business.

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 11%.

Conclusion

Overall, we have mixed feelings about Colefax Group. While the company does have a high rate of reinvestment, the low ROE means that all that reinvestment is not reaping any benefit to its investors, and moreover, its having a negative impact on the earnings growth. Up till now, we've only made a short study of the company's growth data. So it may be worth checking this free detailed graph of Colefax Group's past earnings, as well as revenue and cash flows to get a deeper insight into the company's performance.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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