Yahoo Finance Weak Financial Prospects Seem To Be Dragging Down The Gorman-Rupp Company (NYSE:GRC) Stock
With its stock down 23% over the past three months, it is easy to disregard Gorman-Rupp (NYSE:GRC). To decide if this trend could continue, we decided to look at its weak fundamentals as they shape the long-term market trends. In this article, we decided to focus on Gorman-Rupp's ROE.
ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.
See our latest analysis for Gorman-Rupp
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 Gorman-Rupp is:
9.0% = US$30m ÷ US$333m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).
The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.09 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. 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.
Gorman-Rupp's Earnings Growth And 9.0% ROE
At first glance, Gorman-Rupp's ROE doesn't look very promising. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 12%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. Therefore, Gorman-Rupp's flat earnings over the past five years can possibly be explained by the low ROE amongst other factors.
We then compared Gorman-Rupp's net income growth with the industry and found that the company's growth figure is lower than the average industry growth rate of 8.8% in the same period, which is a bit concerning.
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. Is Gorman-Rupp fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.
Is Gorman-Rupp Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
With a high three-year median payout ratio of 54% (implying that the company keeps only 46% of its income) of its business to reinvest into its business), most of Gorman-Rupp's profits are being paid to shareholders, which explains the absence of growth in earnings.
Additionally, Gorman-Rupp has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years, which means that the company's management is determined to pay dividends even if it means little to no earnings growth.
Conclusion
Overall, we would be extremely cautious before making any decision on Gorman-Rupp. Because the company is not reinvesting much into the business, and given the low ROE, it's not surprising to see the lack or absence of growth in its earnings. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings are expected to accelerate. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts for the company.
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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.
