Are Robust Financials Driving The Recent Rally In Israel Corporation Ltd's (TLV:ILCO) Stock?

Israel (TLV:ILCO) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 12% over the last month. Given that the market rewards strong financials in the long-term, we wonder if that is the case in this instance. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Israel'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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

See our latest analysis for Israel

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 Israel is:

29% = US$1.8b ÷ US$6.1b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. So, this means that for every ₪1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of ₪0.29.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a company’s earnings growth potential. 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.

Israel's Earnings Growth And 29% ROE

First thing first, we like that Israel has an impressive ROE. Additionally, the company's ROE is higher compared to the industry average of 20% which is quite remarkable. This probably laid the groundwork for Israel's moderate 9.8% net income growth seen over the past five years.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Israel's reported growth was lower than the industry growth of 19% over the last few years, which is not something we like to see.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. 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. 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 Israel is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Israel Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Israel has a healthy combination of a moderate three-year median payout ratio of 37% (or a retention ratio of 63%) 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, Israel has paid dividends over a period of eight years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.

Summary

On the whole, we feel that Israel'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 a good amount of growth in its earnings. If the company continues to grow its earnings the way it has, that could have a positive impact on its share price given how earnings per share influence long-term share prices. Not to forget, share price outcomes are also dependent on the potential risks a company may face. So it is important for investors to be aware of the risks involved in the business. You can see the 1 risk we have identified for Israel by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

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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.