System Location Co.,Ltd.'s (TSE:2480) Stock Has Seen Strong Momentum: Does That Call For Deeper Study Of Its Financial Prospects?

System LocationLtd (TSE:2480) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 30% over the last three months. We wonder if and what role the company's financials play in that price change as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. In this article, we decided to focus on System LocationLtd's ROE.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

Check out our latest analysis for System LocationLtd

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 System LocationLtd is:

9.5% = JP¥350m ÷ JP¥3.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. Another way to think of that is that for every ¥1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn ¥0.10 in profit.

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. 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 everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics.

System LocationLtd's Earnings Growth And 9.5% ROE

To begin with, System LocationLtd seems to have a respectable ROE. Yet, the fact that the company's ROE is lower than the industry average of 14% does temper our expectations. On further research, we found that System LocationLtd's earnings over the past five years have been pretty flat. Not to forget, the company does have a decent ROE to begin with, just that it is lower than the industry average. Therefore, the flat earnings growth could be the result of other factors. For example, it could be that the company has a high payout ratio or the business has alloacted capital, for instance.

As a next step, we compared System LocationLtd's net income growth with the industry and were disappointed to see that the company's growth is lower than the industry average growth of 12% in the same period.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. 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. Is System LocationLtd fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is System LocationLtd Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

In spite of a normal three-year median payout ratio of 29% (or a retention ratio of 71%), System LocationLtd hasn't seen much growth in its earnings. Therefore, there might be some other reasons to explain the lack in that respect. For example, the business could be in decline.

Additionally, System LocationLtd has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years, which means that the company's management is determined to pay dividends even if it means little to no earnings growth.

Conclusion

On the whole, we do feel that System LocationLtd has some positive attributes. Yet, the low earnings growth is a bit concerning, especially given that the company has a respectable rate of return and is reinvesting a huge portion of its profits. By the looks of it, there could be some other factors, not necessarily in control of the business, that's preventing growth. Up till now, we've only made a short study of the company's growth data. You can do your own research on System LocationLtd 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.