Most readers would already be aware that IDB Technologies Berhad's (KLSE:IDBTECH) stock increased significantly by 20% over the past week. 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. Particularly, we will be paying attention to IDB Technologies Berhad's ROE today.

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. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

View our latest analysis for IDB Technologies Berhad

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

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 IDB Technologies Berhad is:

33% = RM1.6m ÷ RM4.7m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every MYR1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn MYR0.33 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. 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.

IDB Technologies Berhad's Earnings Growth And 33% ROE

First thing first, we like that IDB Technologies Berhad has an impressive ROE. Second, a comparison with the average ROE reported by the industry of 10% also doesn't go unnoticed by us. So, the substantial 27% net income growth seen by IDB Technologies Berhad over the past five years isn't overly surprising.

As a next step, we compared IDB Technologies Berhad's net income growth with the industry, and pleasingly, we found that the growth seen by the company is higher than the average industry growth of 17%.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is IDB Technologies Berhad fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is IDB Technologies Berhad Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

IDB Technologies Berhad has a three-year median payout ratio of 26% (where it is retaining 74% of its income) which is not too low or not too high. So it seems that IDB Technologies Berhad is reinvesting efficiently in a way that it sees impressive growth in its earnings (discussed above) and pays a dividend that's well covered.

Summary

Overall, we are quite pleased with IDB Technologies Berhad's performance. Specifically, we like that the company is reinvesting a huge chunk of its profits at a high rate of return. This of course has caused the company to see substantial growth in its earnings. If the company continues to grow its earnings the way it has, that could have a positive impact on its share price given how earnings per share influence long-term share prices. Let's not forget, business risk is also one of the factors that affects the price of the stock. So this is also an important area that investors need to pay attention to before making a decision on any business. You can see the 3 risks we have identified for IDB Technologies Berhad by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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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