Declining Stock and Solid Fundamentals: Is The Market Wrong About Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHCI)?

It is hard to get excited after looking at Comstock Holding Companies' (NASDAQ:CHCI) recent performance, when its stock has declined 29% over the past three months. However, a closer look at its sound financials might cause you to think again. Given that fundamentals usually drive long-term market outcomes, the company is worth looking at. In this article, we decided to focus on Comstock Holding Companies' 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 other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

How Is ROE Calculated?

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 Comstock Holding Companies is:

25% = US$14m ÷ US$56m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2025).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.25 in profit.

Check out our latest analysis for Comstock Holding Companies

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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.

A Side By Side comparison of Comstock Holding Companies' Earnings Growth And 25% ROE

Firstly, we acknowledge that Comstock Holding Companies has a significantly high ROE. Additionally, the company's ROE is higher compared to the industry average of 7.3% which is quite remarkable. Probably as a result of this, Comstock Holding Companies was able to see a decent net income growth of 10% over the last five years.

When you consider the fact that the industry earnings have shrunk at a rate of 5.9% 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. 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. If you're wondering about Comstock Holding Companies''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Comstock Holding Companies Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Given that Comstock Holding Companies doesn't pay any regular dividends to its shareholders, we infer that the company has been reinvesting all of its profits to grow its business.

Conclusion

Overall, we are quite pleased with Comstock Holding Companies' performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. If the company continues to grow its earnings the way it has, that could have a positive impact on its share price given how earnings per share influence long-term share prices. Let's not forget, business risk is also one of the factors that affects the price of the stock. So this is also an important area that investors need to pay attention to before making a decision on any business. You can see the 1 risk we have identified for Comstock Holding Companies by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

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.