Learning Technologies Group plc's (LON:LTG) Stock Has Shown A Decent Performance: Have Financials A Role To Play?
Most readers would already know that Learning Technologies Group's (LON:LTG) stock increased by 9.6% over the past three months. We wonder if and what role the company's financials play in that price change as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Learning Technologies Group's ROE in this article.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.
See our latest analysis for Learning Technologies 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 Learning Technologies Group is:
6.5% = UK£18m ÷ UK£272m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).
The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. That means that for every £1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated £0.07 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. 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.
A Side By Side comparison of Learning Technologies Group's Earnings Growth And 6.5% ROE
On the face of it, Learning Technologies Group's ROE is not much to talk about. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 9.5%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. Despite this, surprisingly, Learning Technologies Group saw an exceptional 59% net income growth over the past five years. So, there might be other aspects that are positively influencing the company's earnings growth. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.
We then compared Learning Technologies Group's net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 4.8% in the same period.
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. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. If you're wondering about Learning Technologies Group's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Is Learning Technologies Group Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
The three-year median payout ratio for Learning Technologies Group is 44%, which is moderately low. The company is retaining the remaining 56%. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Learning Technologies Group is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.
Moreover, Learning Technologies Group is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of seven years of paying a dividend. Existing analyst estimates suggest that the company's future payout ratio is expected to drop to 16% over the next three years. Accordingly, the expected drop in the payout ratio explains the expected increase in the company's ROE to 73%, over the same period.
Summary
On the whole, we do feel that Learning Technologies Group has some positive attributes. Despite its low rate of return, the fact that the company reinvests a very high portion of its profits into its business, no doubt contributed to its high earnings growth. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. 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.
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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