Mediterra S.A.'s (ATH:MSHOP) Stock Has Seen Strong Momentum: Does That Call For Deeper Study Of Its Financial Prospects?

Mediterra's (ATH:MSHOP) stock is up by a considerable 11% over the past week. 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. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Mediterra's ROE today.

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 simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

View our latest analysis for Mediterra

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 Mediterra is:

1.0% = €49k ÷ €4.8m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that for every €1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated €0.01 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For 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. 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.

Mediterra's Earnings Growth And 1.0% ROE

It is quite clear that Mediterra's ROE is rather low. Not just that, even compared to the industry average of 33%, the company's ROE is entirely unremarkable. As a result, Mediterra's flat earnings over the past five years doesn't come as a surprise given its lower ROE.

When you consider the fact that the industry earnings have shrunk at a rate of 3.9% in the same period, the company's net income growth is pretty remarkable.

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. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. 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 Mediterra is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Mediterra Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Summary

On the whole, we do feel that Mediterra has some positive attributes. With a high rate of reinvestment, albeit at a low ROE, the company has managed to see a considerable growth in its earnings. Up till now, we've only made a short study of the company's growth data. You can do your own research on Mediterra and see how it has performed in the past by looking at this FREE detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flows.

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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.
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