Is Podravka d.d.'s (ZGSE:PODR) Recent Stock Performance Tethered To Its Strong Fundamentals?

Podravka d.d's (ZGSE:PODR) stock is up by a considerable 13% over the past week. Given the company's impressive performance, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely as a company's financial health over the long-term usually dictates market outcomes. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Podravka d.d'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.

Check out our latest analysis for Podravka d.d

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 Podravka d.d is:

8.6% = Kn318m ÷ Kn3.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. So, this means that for every HRK1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of HRK0.09.

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.

Podravka d.d's Earnings Growth And 8.6% ROE

On the face of it, Podravka d.d's ROE is not much to talk about. Although a closer study shows that the company's ROE is higher than the industry average of 4.6% which we definitely can't overlook. Even more so after seeing Podravka d.d's exceptional 21% net income growth over the past five years. Bear in mind, the company does have a moderately low ROE. It is just that the industry ROE is lower. Hence, there might be some other aspects that are causing earnings to grow. For example, it is possible that the broader industry is going through a high growth phase, or that the company has a low payout ratio.

We then performed a comparison between Podravka d.d's net income growth with the industry, which revealed that the company's growth is similar to the average industry growth of 21% 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. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is Podravka d.d fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Podravka d.d Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

The three-year median payout ratio for Podravka d.d is 27%, which is moderately low. The company is retaining the remaining 73%. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Podravka d.d is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Additionally, Podravka d.d has paid dividends over a period of six years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.

Summary

Overall, we are quite pleased with Podravka d.d's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business at a moderate rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.

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.