Is Weakness In Sapiens International Corporation N.V. (NASDAQ:SPNS) Stock A Sign That The Market Could be Wrong Given Its Strong Financial Prospects?

editorial-team@simplywallst.com (Simply Wall St)

Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 7:52 AM 3 min read

Sapiens International (NASDAQ:SPNS) has had a rough month with its share price down 4.7%. However, stock prices are usually driven by a company’s financial performance over the long term, which in this case looks quite promising. In this article, we decided to focus on Sapiens International's ROE.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

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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 Sapiens International is:

15% = US$72m ÷ US$480m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.15 in profit.

See our latest analysis for Sapiens International

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. 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. 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.

Sapiens International's Earnings Growth And 15% ROE

To start with, Sapiens International's ROE looks acceptable. Further, the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 14%. This certainly adds some context to Sapiens International's moderate 19% net income growth seen over the past five years.

Next, on comparing Sapiens International's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 20% over the last few years.

past-earnings-growth — NasdaqGS:SPNS Past Earnings Growth April 12th 2025

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. Is Sapiens International fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Sapiens International Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Sapiens International has a three-year median payout ratio of 46%, which implies that it retains the remaining 54% of its profits. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the decent growth seen by the company, it looks like management is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Moreover, Sapiens International is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of five years of paying a dividend. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 40%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that Sapiens International's future ROE will be 18% which is again, similar to the current ROE.

Conclusion

In total, we are pretty happy with Sapiens International's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page 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.