Is Betsson AB (publ)'s (STO:BETS B) Recent Stock Performance Tethered To Its Strong Fundamentals?

Betsson (STO:BETS B) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 12% over the last three months. Given the company's impressive performance, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely as a company's financial health over the long-term usually dictates market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Betsson's ROE in this article.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

View our latest analysis for Betsson

How Is ROE Calculated?

ROE 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 Betsson is:

21% = €149m ÷ €707m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. That means that for every SEK1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated SEK0.21 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a company’s earnings growth potential. 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 Betsson's Earnings Growth And 21% ROE

Firstly, we acknowledge that Betsson has a significantly high ROE. Further, even comparing with the industry average if 18%, the company's ROE is quite respectable. Therefore, it looks like the high ROE is what probably supported Betsson's modest 8.6% growth over the past five years.

Next, on comparing Betsson's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 8.6% over the last few years.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. One good indicator of expected earnings growth is the P/E ratio which determines the price the market is willing to pay for a stock based on its earnings prospects. So, you may want to check if Betsson is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Betsson Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Betsson has a healthy combination of a moderate three-year median payout ratio of 48% (or a retention ratio of 52%) and a respectable amount of growth in earnings as we saw above, meaning that the company has been making efficient use of its profits.

Moreover, Betsson 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. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company over the next three years is expected to be approximately 49%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that Betsson's future ROE will be 23% which is again, similar to the current ROE.

Conclusion

On the whole, we feel that Betsson's performance has been quite good. Specifically, we like that the company is reinvesting a huge chunk of its profits at a high rate of return. This of course has caused the company to see substantial growth in its earnings. The latest industry analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to maintain its current growth rate. 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.