Yahoo Finance The Platform Group AG's (ETR:FSNT) Stock Is Going Strong: Is the Market Following Fundamentals?
Most readers would already be aware that Platform Group's (ETR:FSNT) stock increased significantly by 57% 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. In this article, we decided to focus on Platform Group's 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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
See our latest analysis for Platform Group
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 Platform Group is:
40% = €33m ÷ €83m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every €1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated €0.40 in profit.
Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?
We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. 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.
Platform Group's Earnings Growth And 40% ROE
First thing first, we like that Platform Group has an impressive ROE. Second, a comparison with the average ROE reported by the industry of 5.7% also doesn't go unnoticed by us. Under the circumstances, Platform Group's considerable five year net income growth of 34% was to be expected.
Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Platform Group's growth is quite high when compared to the industry average growth of 3.3% 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. Has the market priced in the future outlook for FSNT? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report.
Is Platform Group Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
Platform Group doesn't pay any regular dividends currently which essentially means that it has been reinvesting all of its profits into the business. This definitely contributes to the high earnings growth number that we discussed above.
Summary
Overall, we are quite pleased with Platform Group's performance. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. Having said that, on studying current analyst estimates, we were concerned to see that while the company has grown its earnings in the past, analysts expect its earnings to shrink in the future. 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.
