Yahoo Finance Are Robust Financials Driving The Recent Rally In ACI Worldwide, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:ACIW) Stock?
ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 22% over the last three months. 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 ACI Worldwide's ROE today.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.
View our latest analysis for ACI Worldwide
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 ACI Worldwide is:
12% = US$146m ÷ US$1.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).
The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.12.
What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?
We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. 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.
A Side By Side comparison of ACI Worldwide's Earnings Growth And 12% ROE
To begin with, ACI Worldwide seems to have a respectable ROE. Further, the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 12%. This probably goes some way in explaining ACI Worldwide's moderate 12% growth over the past five years amongst other factors.
As a next step, we compared ACI Worldwide's net income growth with the industry and found that the company has a similar growth figure when compared with the industry average growth rate of 14% in the same period.
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. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is ACIW fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.
Is ACI Worldwide Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?
Given that ACI Worldwide doesn't pay any regular dividends to its shareholders, we infer that the company has been reinvesting all of its profits to grow its business.
Conclusion
In total, we are pretty happy with ACI Worldwide'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. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings are expected to accelerate. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.
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.
