Is Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna's (WSE:CRB) ROE Of 10% Concerning?

One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna (WSE:CRB).

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 Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna

How Is ROE Calculated?

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 Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna is:

10% = zł641k ÷ zł6.3m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. So, this means that for every PLN1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of PLN0.10.

Does Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna Have A Good ROE?

One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna has a lower ROE than the average (24%) in the Entertainment industry.

That certainly isn't ideal. That being said, a low ROE is not always a bad thing, especially if the company has low leverage as this still leaves room for improvement if the company were to take on more debt. A company with high debt levels and low ROE is a combination we like to avoid given the risk involved. To know the 7 risks we have identified for Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna visit our risks dashboard for free.

How Does Debt Impact Return On Equity?

Most companies need money -- from somewhere -- to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders' equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used.

Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna's Debt And Its 10% ROE

One positive for shareholders is that Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna does not have any net debt! Although I don't find its ROE that impressive, it's worth remembering it achieved these returns without debt. After all, when a company has a strong balance sheet, it can often find ways to invest in growth, even if it takes some time.

Conclusion

Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. If two companies have around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I'd generally prefer the one with higher ROE.

But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. It is important to consider other factors, such as future profit growth -- and how much investment is required going forward. Check the past profit growth by Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna by looking at this visualization of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Of course Carbon Studio Spólka Akcyjna may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have high ROE and low debt.

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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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