Could The Market Be Wrong About The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) Given Its Attractive Financial Prospects?

With its stock down 25% over the past three months, it is easy to disregard Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG). But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. Specifically, we decided to study Interpublic Group of Companies' ROE in this article.

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 other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

View our latest analysis for Interpublic Group of Companies

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

Return on equity 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 Interpublic Group of Companies is:

25% = US$964m ÷ US$3.8b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.25 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. 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 everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics.

Interpublic Group of Companies' Earnings Growth And 25% ROE

First thing first, we like that Interpublic Group of Companies has an impressive ROE. Secondly, even when compared to the industry average of 11% the company's ROE is quite impressive. This probably laid the groundwork for Interpublic Group of Companies' moderate 13% net income growth seen over the past five years.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Interpublic Group of Companies' growth is quite high when compared to the industry average growth of 10% in the same period, which is great to see.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. 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 Interpublic Group of Companies is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is Interpublic Group of Companies Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

The high three-year median payout ratio of 51% (or a retention ratio of 49%) for Interpublic Group of Companies suggests that the company's growth wasn't really hampered despite it returning most of its income to its shareholders.

Besides, Interpublic Group of Companies has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 43%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that Interpublic Group of Companies' future ROE will be 26% which is again, similar to the current ROE.

Summary

On the whole, we feel that Interpublic Group of Companies' performance has been quite good. In particular, its high ROE is quite noteworthy and also the probable explanation behind its considerable earnings growth. Yet, the company is retaining a small portion of its profits. Which means that the company has been able to grow its earnings in spite of it, so that's not too bad. That being so, a study of the latest analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to see a slowdown in its future earnings growth. 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.