Are Robust Financials Driving The Recent Rally In Rush Enterprises, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:RUSH.A) Stock?

Rush Enterprises' (NASDAQ:RUSH.A) stock is up by a considerable 15% over the past 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. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Rush Enterprises' ROE today.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

See our latest analysis for Rush Enterprises

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 Rush Enterprises is:

15% = US$308m ÷ US$2.1b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.15 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. 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. 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 Rush Enterprises' Earnings Growth And 15% ROE

To start with, Rush Enterprises' ROE looks acceptable. Further, the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 17%. This probably goes some way in explaining Rush Enterprises' significant 23% net income growth over the past five years amongst other factors. However, there could also be other drivers behind this growth. For instance, the company has a low payout ratio or is being managed efficiently.

As a next step, we compared Rush Enterprises' net income growth with the industry and found that the company has a similar growth figure when compared with the industry average growth rate of 23% in the same period.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. 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 Rush Enterprises is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Rush Enterprises Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Rush Enterprises' ' three-year median payout ratio is on the lower side at 14% implying that it is retaining a higher percentage (86%) of its profits. So it looks like Rush Enterprises is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business, which shows in its earnings growth.

Besides, Rush Enterprises has been paying dividends over a period of six years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Conclusion

Overall, we are quite pleased with Rush Enterprises' performance. 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. 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 latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts for the company.

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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.