National Medical Care Company's (TADAWUL:4005) Stock On An Uptrend: Could Fundamentals Be Driving The Momentum?
National Medical Care (TADAWUL:4005) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 11% over the last three months. 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. In this article, we decided to focus on National Medical Care's ROE.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.
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 National Medical Care is:
18% = ر.س302m ÷ ر.س1.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2025).
The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. That means that for every SAR1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated SAR0.18 in profit.
See our latest analysis for National Medical Care
What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?
Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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. 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.
A Side By Side comparison of National Medical Care's Earnings Growth And 18% ROE
At first glance, National Medical Care's ROE doesn't look very promising. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 17%. Looking at National Medical Care's exceptional 27% five-year net income growth in particular, we are definitely impressed. Given the slightly low ROE, it is likely that there could be some other aspects that are driving 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.
We then compared National Medical Care's net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 19% in the same 5-year period.
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. What is 4005 worth today? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether 4005 is currently mispriced by the market.
Is National Medical Care Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
National Medical Care has a three-year median payout ratio of 30% (where it is retaining 70% 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 National Medical Care is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.
Moreover, National Medical Care is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 33%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that National Medical Care's future ROE will be 18% which is again, similar to the current ROE.
Summary
On the whole, we do feel that National Medical Care has some positive attributes. Even in spite of the low rate of return, the company has posted impressive earnings growth as a result of reinvesting heavily into its business. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.
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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.