Advertisement
Australia markets closed
  • ALL ORDS

    8,153.70
    +80.10 (+0.99%)
     
  • AUD/USD

    0.6495
    -0.0041 (-0.62%)
     
  • ASX 200

    7,896.90
    +77.30 (+0.99%)
     
  • OIL

    82.08
    +0.73 (+0.90%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,228.10
    +15.40 (+0.70%)
     
  • Bitcoin AUD

    108,476.49
    +618.80 (+0.57%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     

Does Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:HOLI) Create Value For Shareholders?

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. We'll use ROE to examine Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:HOLI), by way of a worked example.

Our data shows Hollysys Automation Technologies has a return on equity of 14% for the last year. One way to conceptualize this, is that for each $1 of shareholders' equity it has, the company made $0.14 in profit.

ADVERTISEMENT

View our latest analysis for Hollysys Automation Technologies

How Do I Calculate ROE?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit ÷ Shareholders' Equity

Or for Hollysys Automation Technologies:

14% = US$122m ÷ US$898m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders' equity is a little more complicated. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets.

What Does ROE Mean?

ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. The higher the ROE, the more profit the company is making. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies.

Does Hollysys Automation Technologies Have A Good ROE?

One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. The image below shows that Hollysys Automation Technologies has an ROE that is roughly in line with the Electronic industry average (12%).

NasdaqGS:HOLI Past Revenue and Net Income, May 1st 2019
NasdaqGS:HOLI Past Revenue and Net Income, May 1st 2019

That's not overly surprising. ROE can give us a view about company quality, but many investors also look to other factors, such as whether there are insiders buying shares. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity

Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking.

Hollysys Automation Technologies's Debt And Its 14% ROE

Although Hollysys Automation Technologies does use a little debt, its debt to equity ratio of just 0.026 is very low. The combination of modest debt and a very respectable ROE suggests this is a business worth watching. Conservative use of debt to boost returns is usually a good move for shareholders, though it does leave the company more exposed to interest rate rises.

In Summary

Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better.

Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So you might want to check this FREE visualization of analyst forecasts for the company.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.