Will Weakness in Scientex Berhad's (KLSE:SCIENTX) Stock Prove Temporary Given Strong Fundamentals?

It is hard to get excited after looking at Scientex Berhad's (KLSE:SCIENTX) recent performance, when its stock has declined 23% over the past three months. But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Scientex 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. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

View our latest analysis for Scientex Berhad

How Do You 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 Scientex Berhad is:

14% = RM561m ÷ RM4.1b (Based on the trailing twelve months to October 2024).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. So, this means that for every MYR1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of MYR0.14.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And 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.

Scientex Berhad's Earnings Growth And 14% ROE

To start with, Scientex Berhad's ROE looks acceptable. Further, the company's ROE compares quite favorably to the industry average of 5.9%. This certainly adds some context to Scientex Berhad's decent 6.3% net income growth seen over the past five years.

When you consider the fact that the industry earnings have shrunk at a rate of 4.0% in the same 5-year period, the company's net income growth is pretty remarkable.

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 SCIENTX fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.

Is Scientex Berhad Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Scientex Berhad has a healthy combination of a moderate three-year median payout ratio of 34% (or a retention ratio of 66%) and a respectable amount of growth in earnings as we saw above, meaning that the company has been making efficient use of its profits.

Besides, Scientex Berhad has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company over the next three years is expected to be approximately 34%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that Scientex Berhad's future ROE will be 14% which is again, similar to the current ROE.

Summary

Overall, we are quite pleased with Scientex Berhad's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. Having said that, looking at the current analyst estimates, we found that the company's earnings are expected to gain momentum. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts for the company.

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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.