Are Public Joint Stock Company Nizhnekamskneftekhim's (MCX:NKNC) Mixed Financials Driving The Negative Sentiment?

Nizhnekamskneftekhim (MCX:NKNC) has had a rough three months with its share price down 31%. It is possible that the markets have ignored the company's differing financials and decided to lean-in to the negative sentiment. Fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes so it makes sense to study the company's financials. Specifically, we decided to study Nizhnekamskneftekhim'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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

See our latest analysis for Nizhnekamskneftekhim

How Is ROE Calculated?

The formula for ROE is:

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

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Nizhnekamskneftekhim is:

20% = ₽32b ÷ ₽165b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each RUB1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made RUB0.20 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. 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. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim's Earnings Growth And 20% ROE

To begin with, Nizhnekamskneftekhim seems to have a respectable ROE. And on comparing with the industry, we found that the the average industry ROE is similar at 22%. However, while Nizhnekamskneftekhim has a pretty respectable ROE, its five year net income decline rate was 7.2% . Based on this, we feel that there might be other reasons which haven't been discussed so far in this article that could be hampering the company's growth. These include low earnings retention or poor allocation of capital.

With the industry earnings declining at a rate of 6.1% in the same period, we deduce that both the company and the industry are shrinking at the same rate.

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. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is Nizhnekamskneftekhim fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Nizhnekamskneftekhim Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Nizhnekamskneftekhim's very high three-year median payout ratio of 120% over the last three years suggests that the company is paying its shareholders more than what it is earning and this explains the company's shrinking earnings. Its usually very hard to sustain dividend payments that are higher than reported profits. Our risks dashboard should have the 5 risks we have identified for Nizhnekamskneftekhim.

In addition, Nizhnekamskneftekhim has been paying dividends over a period of at least ten years suggesting that keeping up dividend payments is way more important to the management even if it comes at the cost of business growth.

Summary

Overall, we have mixed feelings about Nizhnekamskneftekhim. While the company does have a high rate of return, its low earnings retention is probably what's hampering its earnings growth. So far, we've only made a quick discussion around the company's earnings growth. To gain further insights into Nizhnekamskneftekhim's past profit growth, check out this visualization of past earnings, revenue and cash flows.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.