Can JPP Holding Company Limited's (TPE:5284) Weak Financials Pull The Plug On The Stock's Current Momentum On Its Share Price?

Most readers would already be aware that JPP Holding's (TPE:5284) stock increased significantly by 5.3% over the past month. However, we decided to pay close attention to its weak financials as we are doubtful that the current momentum will keep up, given the scenario. Specifically, we decided to study JPP Holding'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. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.

See our latest analysis for JPP Holding

How To 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 JPP Holding is:

5.6% = NT$99m ÷ NT$1.8b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. Another way to think of that is that for every NT$1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn NT$0.06 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. 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. 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.

JPP Holding's Earnings Growth And 5.6% ROE

At first glance, JPP Holding's ROE doesn't look very promising. A quick further study shows that the company's ROE doesn't compare favorably to the industry average of 9.9% either. Given the circumstances, the significant decline in net income by 11% seen by JPP Holding over the last five years is not surprising. We reckon that there could also be other factors at play here. For instance, the company has a very high payout ratio, or is faced with competitive pressures.

However, when we compared JPP Holding's growth with the industry we found that while the company's earnings have been shrinking, the industry has seen an earnings growth of 9.2% in the same period. This is quite worrisome.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. 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. If you're wondering about JPP Holding's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is JPP Holding Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

JPP Holding's declining earnings is not surprising given how the company is spending most of its profits in paying dividends, judging by its three-year median payout ratio of 70% (or a retention ratio of 30%). With only very little left to reinvest into the business, growth in earnings is far from likely. You can see the 5 risks we have identified for JPP Holding by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

In addition, JPP Holding has been paying dividends over a period of six years suggesting that keeping up dividend payments is preferred by the management even though earnings have been in decline.

Summary

Overall, we would be extremely cautious before making any decision on JPP Holding. The company has seen a lack of earnings growth as a result of retaining very little profits and whatever little it does retain, is being reinvested at a very low rate of return. So far, we've only made a quick discussion around the company's earnings growth. So it may be worth checking this free detailed graph of JPP Holding's past earnings, as well as revenue and cash flows to get a deeper insight into the company's performance.

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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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