Unimech Group Berhad's (KLSE:UNIMECH) Stock Is Going Strong: Have Financials A Role To Play?

Most readers would already be aware that Unimech Group Berhad's (KLSE:UNIMECH) stock increased significantly by 23% over the past three months. As most would know, fundamentals are what usually guide market price movements over the long-term, so we decided to look at the company's key financial indicators today to determine if they have any role to play in the recent price movement. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Unimech Group Berhad's ROE today.

Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.

View our latest analysis for Unimech Group Berhad

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Unimech Group Berhad is:

8.3% = RM26m ÷ RM310m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. That means that for every MYR1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated MYR0.08 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. 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.

Unimech Group Berhad's Earnings Growth And 8.3% ROE

When you first look at it, Unimech Group Berhad's ROE doesn't look that attractive. However, given that the company's ROE is similar to the average industry ROE of 8.3%, we may spare it some thought. Particularly, the exceptional 23% net income growth seen by Unimech Group Berhad over the past five years is pretty remarkable. Considering the moderately low ROE, it is quite possible that there might be some other aspects that are positively influencing the company's earnings growth. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that the growth figure reported by Unimech Group Berhad compares quite favourably to the industry average, which shows a decline of 0.2% in the same period.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. If you're wondering about Unimech Group Berhad's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Unimech Group Berhad Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Unimech Group Berhad has a three-year median payout ratio of 31% (where it is retaining 69% of its income) which is not too low or not too high. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Unimech Group Berhad is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Additionally, Unimech Group Berhad has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.

Summary

Overall, we feel that Unimech Group Berhad certainly does have some positive factors to consider. 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 Unimech Group Berhad.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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