Yahoo Finance Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:KLIC) Stock Has Been Sliding But Fundamentals Look Strong: Is The Market Wrong?
With its stock down 20% over the past three months, it is easy to disregard Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC). However, a closer look at its sound financials might cause you to think again. Given that fundamentals usually drive long-term market outcomes, the company is worth looking at. Specifically, we decided to study Kulicke and Soffa Industries' ROE in this article.
Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.
Check out our latest analysis for Kulicke and Soffa Industries
How Do You 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 Kulicke and Soffa Industries is:
42% = US$502m ÷ US$1.2b (Based on the trailing twelve months to July 2022).
The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.42 in profit.
What Is The Relationship Between ROE And 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. 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.
Kulicke and Soffa Industries' Earnings Growth And 42% ROE
First thing first, we like that Kulicke and Soffa Industries has an impressive ROE. Secondly, even when compared to the industry average of 19% the company's ROE is quite impressive. As a result, Kulicke and Soffa Industries' exceptional 49% net income growth seen over the past five years, doesn't come as a surprise.
As a next step, we compared Kulicke and Soffa Industries' 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 26%.
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. One good indicator of expected earnings growth is the P/E ratio which determines the price the market is willing to pay for a stock based on its earnings prospects. So, you may want to check if Kulicke and Soffa Industries is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.
Is Kulicke and Soffa Industries Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?
Kulicke and Soffa Industries' three-year median payout ratio is a pretty moderate 29%, meaning the company retains 71% of its income. By the looks of it, the dividend is well covered and Kulicke and Soffa Industries is reinvesting its profits efficiently as evidenced by its exceptional growth which we discussed above.
Besides, Kulicke and Soffa Industries has been paying dividends over a period of four years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.
Conclusion
On the whole, we feel that Kulicke and Soffa Industries' performance has been quite good. 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, on studying current analyst estimates, we were concerned to see that while the company has grown its earnings in the past, analysts expect its earnings to shrink in the future. 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.
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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