Yahoo Finance Analog Devices, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:ADI) Financials Are Too Obscure To Link With Current Share Price Momentum: What's In Store For the Stock?
Analog Devices' (NASDAQ:ADI) stock is up by a considerable 21% over the past month. However, we decided to pay attention to the company's fundamentals which don't appear to give a clear sign about the company's financial health. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Analog Devices' ROE today.
Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.
View our latest analysis for Analog Devices
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 Analog Devices is:
7.5% = US$2.7b ÷ US$36b (Based on the trailing twelve months to October 2022).
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 $0.08 in profit.
What Has ROE Got To Do With 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. 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 Analog Devices' Earnings Growth And 7.5% ROE
When you first look at it, Analog Devices' ROE doesn't look that attractive. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 19%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. However, the moderate 12% net income growth seen by Analog Devices over the past five years is definitely a positive. We reckon that there could be other factors at play here. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.
As a next step, we compared Analog Devices' net income growth with the industry and were disappointed to see that the company's growth is lower than the industry average growth of 27% in the same period.
Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Has the market priced in the future outlook for ADI? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report.
Is Analog Devices Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
The high three-year median payout ratio of 75% (or a retention ratio of 25%) for Analog Devices suggests that the company's growth wasn't really hampered despite it returning most of its income to its shareholders.
Besides, Analog Devices has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company is expected to drop to 41% over the next three years. The fact that the company's ROE is expected to rise to 16% over the same period is explained by the drop in the payout ratio.
Summary
In total, we're a bit ambivalent about Analog Devices' performance. Although the company has shown a fair bit of growth in earnings, the reinvestment rate is low. Meaning, the earnings growth number could have been significantly higher had the company been retaining more of its profits and reinvesting that at a higher rate of return. The latest industry analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to maintain its current growth rate. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.
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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.
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