Aptiv’s (NYSE:APTV) stock up by 5.7% over the past three months. Given that the stock prices usually follow long-term business performance, we wonder if the company’s mixed financials could have any adverse effect on its current price price movement Specifically, we decided to study Aptiv’s ROE in this article.
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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
See our latest analysis for Aptiv
How Is ROE Calculated?
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 Aptiv is:
6.5% = US$590m ÷ US$9.1b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 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 $0.06 in profit.
What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?
Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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. 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.
Aptiv’s Earnings Growth And 6.5% ROE
At first glance, Aptiv’s ROE doesn’t look very promising. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 14%, the company’s ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. Given the circumstances, the significant decline in net income by 15% seen by Aptiv over the last five years is not surprising. We believe that there also might be other aspects that are negatively influencing the company’s earnings prospects. Such as – low earnings retention or poor allocation of capital.
That being said, we compared Aptiv’s performance with the industry and were concerned when we found that while the company has shrunk its earnings, the industry has grown its earnings at a rate of 4.2% 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). 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 APTV? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report.
Is Aptiv Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?
While the company did payout a portion of its dividend in the past, it currently doesn’t pay a dividend. This implies that potentially all of its profits are being reinvested in the business.
Summary
On the whole, we feel that the performance shown by Aptiv can be open to many interpretations. While the company does have a high rate of profit retention, its low rate of return is probably hampering its earnings growth. With that said, we studied the latest analyst forecasts and found that while the company has shrunk its earnings in the past, analysts expect its earnings to grow 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.
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