China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited's (HKG:291) Stock Is Going Strong: Is the Market Following Fundamentals?

China Resources Beer (Holdings)'s (HKG:291) stock is up by a considerable 24% over the past three months. Since the market usually pay for a company’s long-term fundamentals, we decided to study the company’s key performance indicators to see if they could be influencing the market. Particularly, we will be paying attention to China Resources Beer (Holdings)'s ROE today.

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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

Check out our latest analysis for China Resources Beer (Holdings)

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 China Resources Beer (Holdings) is:

15% = CN¥5.2b ÷ CN¥34b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every HK$1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated HK$0.15 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And 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.

China Resources Beer (Holdings)'s Earnings Growth And 15% ROE

To start with, China Resources Beer (Holdings)'s ROE looks acceptable. Even when compared to the industry average of 14% the company's ROE looks quite decent. This certainly adds some context to China Resources Beer (Holdings)'s exceptional 31% net income growth seen over the past five years. We believe that there might also be other aspects that are positively influencing the company's earnings growth. For example, it is possible that the company's management has made some good strategic decisions, or that the company has a low payout ratio.

We then compared China Resources Beer (Holdings)'s net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 22% in the same 5-year 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. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is 291 fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.

Is China Resources Beer (Holdings) Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

The three-year median payout ratio for China Resources Beer (Holdings) is 40%, which is moderately low. The company is retaining the remaining 60%. So it seems that China Resources Beer (Holdings) is reinvesting efficiently in a way that it sees impressive growth in its earnings (discussed above) and pays a dividend that's well covered.

Moreover, China Resources Beer (Holdings) is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years. 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 44%. Still, forecasts suggest that China Resources Beer (Holdings)'s future ROE will rise to 20% even though the the company's payout ratio is not expected to change by much.

Summary

On the whole, we feel that China Resources Beer (Holdings)'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. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts for the company.

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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.