It’s hard to get excited after looking at California Water Service Group’s (NYSE:CWT) recent performance, when its stock has declined 11% over the past month. We, however decided to study the company’s financials to determine if they have got anything to do with the price decline. Fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes so it makes sense to study the company’s financials. In this article, we decided to focus on California Water Service Group’s ROE.
ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder’s equity.
Check out our latest analysis for California Water Service Group
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 California Water Service Group is:
9.7% = US$143m ÷ US$1.5b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).
The ‘return’ is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn $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. 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 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.
California Water Service Group’s Earnings Growth And 9.7% ROE
When you first look at it, California Water Service Group’s ROE doesn’t look that attractive. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 9.6%, so we won’t completely dismiss the company. Having said that, California Water Service Group has shown a modest net income growth of 5.2% over the past five years. 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.
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We then compared California Water Service Group’s net income growth with the industry and found that the company’s growth figure is lower than the average industry growth rate of 11% in the same 5-year period, which is a bit concerning.
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. Doing so will help them establish if the stock’s future looks promising or ominous. Is California Water Service Group fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.
Is California Water Service Group Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?
California Water Service Group has a significant three-year median payout ratio of 57%, meaning that it is left with only 43% to reinvest into its business. This implies that the company has been able to achieve decent earnings growth despite returning most of its profits to shareholders.
Furthermore, California Water Service Group is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years. Our latest analyst data shows that the company’s future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to be approximately 50%. As a result, California Water Service Group’s ROE is not expected to change by much either, which we inferred from the analyst estimate of 9.0% for future ROE.
Conclusion
In total, we’re a bit ambivalent about California Water Service Group’s performance. Although the company has shown a fair bit of growth in earnings, the reinvestment rate is low. Meaning, the earnings growth number could have been significantly higher had the company been retaining more of its profits and reinvesting that at a higher rate of return. That being so, a study of the latest analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to see a slowdown in its future earnings growth. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts 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.
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