Is Transcend Information, Inc.'s (TPE:2451) Recent Performancer Underpinned By Weak Financials?

It is hard to get excited after looking at Transcend Information's (TPE:2451) recent performance, when its stock has declined 2.3% over the past month. Given that stock prices are usually driven by a company’s fundamentals over the long term, which in this case look pretty weak, we decided to study the company's key financial indicators. Specifically, we decided to study Transcend Information'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 other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for Transcend Information

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for return on equity is:

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

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Transcend Information is:

7.2% = NT$1.3b ÷ NT$18b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every NT$1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated NT$0.07 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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 Transcend Information's Earnings Growth And 7.2% ROE

On the face of it, Transcend Information's ROE is not much to talk about. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 11%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. Given the circumstances, the significant decline in net income by 16% seen by Transcend Information over the last five years is not surprising. We believe that there also might be other aspects that are negatively influencing the company's earnings prospects. For example, it is possible that the business has allocated capital poorly or that the company has a very high payout ratio.

However, when we compared Transcend Information's growth with the industry we found that while the company's earnings have been shrinking, the industry has seen an earnings growth of 6.1% in the same period. This is quite worrisome.

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. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. 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 Transcend Information is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Transcend Information Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Transcend Information's very high three-year median payout ratio of 109% 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. Paying a dividend beyond their means is usually not viable over the long term. You can see the 3 risks we have identified for Transcend Information by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

Additionally, Transcend Information has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years, which means that the company's management is determined to pay dividends even if it means little to no earnings growth.

Summary

Overall, we would be extremely cautious before making any decision on Transcend Information. Particularly, its ROE is a huge disappointment, not to mention its lack of proper reinvestment into the business. As a result its earnings growth has also been quite disappointing. Up till now, we've only made a short study of the company's growth data. To gain further insights into Transcend Information's past profit growth, check out this visualization of past earnings, revenue and cash flows.

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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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