Are Strong Financial Prospects The Force That Is Driving The Momentum In Sectra AB (publ)'s STO:SECT B) Stock?

Sectra (STO:SECT B) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 52% over the last three months. Since the market usually pay for a company’s long-term fundamentals, we decided to study the company’s key performance indicators to see if they could be influencing the market. In this article, we decided to focus on Sectra's ROE.

Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

View our latest analysis for Sectra

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

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 Sectra is:

33% = kr439m ÷ kr1.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to October 2023).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. So, this means that for every SEK1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of SEK0.33.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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.

A Side By Side comparison of Sectra's Earnings Growth And 33% ROE

First thing first, we like that Sectra has an impressive ROE. Secondly, even when compared to the industry average of 3.3% the company's ROE is quite impressive. This probably laid the groundwork for Sectra's moderate 16% net income growth seen over the past five years.

When you consider the fact that the industry earnings have shrunk at a rate of 12% in the same 5-year period, the company's net income growth is pretty remarkable.

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

Is Sectra Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Summary

In total, we are pretty happy with Sectra's performance. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.

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

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.