Is MOT Co.,Ltd.'s (KOSDAQ:413390) Recent Stock Performance Influenced By Its Fundamentals In Any Way?

Most readers would already be aware that MOTLtd's (KOSDAQ:413390) stock increased significantly by 25% over the past month. 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. Specifically, we decided to study MOTLtd's ROE in this article.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.

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How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

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 MOTLtd is:

4.1% = ₩2.3b ÷ ₩56b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2025).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each ₩1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made ₩0.04 in profit.

View our latest analysis for MOTLtd

Why Is ROE Important For 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. 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.

MOTLtd's Earnings Growth And 4.1% ROE

As you can see, MOTLtd's ROE looks pretty weak. Not just that, even compared to the industry average of 5.9%, the company's ROE is entirely unremarkable. However, we we're pleasantly surprised to see that MOTLtd grew its net income at a significant rate of 21% in the last five years. Therefore, there could be other reasons behind this 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.

Next, on comparing MOTLtd's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 19% over the last few years.

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

Is MOTLtd Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

MOTLtd's three-year median payout ratio to shareholders is 19%, which is quite low. This implies that the company is retaining 81% of its profits. So it seems like the management is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business and this reflects in its earnings growth number.

While MOTLtd has been growing its earnings, it only recently started to pay dividends which likely means that the company decided to impress new and existing shareholders with a dividend.

Summary

In total, it does look like MOTLtd has some positive aspects to its business. With a high rate of reinvestment, albeit at a low ROE, the company has managed to see a considerable growth in its earnings. While we won't completely dismiss the company, what we would do, is try to ascertain how risky the business is to make a more informed decision around the company. Our risks dashboard would have the 2 risks we have identified for MOTLtd.

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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.