Unlock stock picks and a broker-level newsfeed that powers Wall Street.

Xaar plc's (LON:XAR) Has Performed Well But Fundamentals Look Varied: Is There A Clear Direction For The Stock?

In This Article:

Most readers would already know that Xaar's (LON:XAR) stock increased by 4.2% 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 Particularly, we will be paying attention to Xaar's ROE today.

Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

See our latest analysis for Xaar

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 Xaar is:

3.9% = UK£2.7m ÷ UK£70m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. So, this means that for every £1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of £0.04.

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. 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. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features.

Xaar's Earnings Growth And 3.9% ROE

On the face of it, Xaar's ROE is not much to talk about. A quick further study shows that the company's ROE doesn't compare favorably to the industry average of 9.3% either. Therefore, it might not be wrong to say that the five year net income decline of 38% seen by Xaar was probably the result of it having a lower ROE. We believe that there also might be other aspects that are negatively influencing the company's earnings prospects. For instance, the company has a very high payout ratio, or is faced with competitive pressures.

However, when we compared Xaar's growth with the industry we found that while the company's earnings have been shrinking, the industry has seen an earnings growth of 11% in the same period. This is quite worrisome.

past-earnings-growth
LSE:XAR Past Earnings Growth September 22nd 2022

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is XAR fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.