Yahoo Finance Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:NATR) Stock On An Uptrend: Could Fundamentals Be Driving The Momentum?
Nature's Sunshine Products' (NASDAQ:NATR) stock is up by a considerable 16% over the past three months. We wonder if and what role the company's financials play in that price change as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Nature's Sunshine Products' ROE today.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
Check out our latest analysis for Nature's Sunshine Products
How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?
ROE 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 Nature's Sunshine Products is:
10% = US$16m ÷ US$160m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.10 in profit.
What Has ROE Got To Do With 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. Assuming everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics.
Nature's Sunshine Products' Earnings Growth And 10% ROE
When you first look at it, Nature's Sunshine Products' ROE doesn't look that attractive. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 12%. Even so, Nature's Sunshine Products has shown a fairly decent growth in its net income which grew at a rate of 12%. Given the slightly low ROE, it is likely that there could be some other aspects that are driving this growth. For example, it is possible that the company's management has made some good strategic decisions, or that the company has a low payout ratio.
Next, on comparing Nature's Sunshine Products' net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 12% over the last few years.
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. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. If you're wondering about Nature's Sunshine Products''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Is Nature's Sunshine Products Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
Nature's Sunshine Products doesn't pay any dividend, meaning that all of its profits are being reinvested in the business, which explains the fair bit of earnings growth the company has seen.
Summary
On the whole, we do feel that Nature's Sunshine Products has some positive attributes. Even in spite of the low rate of return, the company has posted impressive earnings growth as a result of reinvesting heavily into its business. We also studied the latest analyst forecasts and found that the company's earnings growth is expected be similar to its current growth rate. 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.
