Yahoo Finance Could NetLink NBN Trust's (SGX:CJLU) Weak Financials Mean That The Market Could Correct Its Share Price?
Most readers would already know that NetLink NBN Trust's (SGX:CJLU) stock increased by 1.8% over the past month. However, its weak financial performance indicators makes us a bit doubtful if that trend could continue. In this article, we decided to focus on NetLink NBN Trust'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. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.
See our latest analysis for NetLink NBN Trust
How Do You 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 NetLink NBN Trust is:
4.4% = S$113m ÷ S$2.6b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. One way to conceptualize this is that for each SGD1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made SGD0.04 in profit.
Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?
Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that don’t share these attributes.
NetLink NBN Trust's Earnings Growth And 4.4% ROE
On the face of it, NetLink NBN Trust's ROE is not much to talk about. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 12%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. However, the moderate 7.3% net income growth seen by NetLink NBN Trust over the past five years is definitely a positive. So, the growth in the company's earnings could probably have been caused by other variables. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.
As a next step, we compared NetLink NBN Trust's net income growth with the industry and were disappointed to see that the company's growth is lower than the industry average growth of 13% in the same period.
Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is CJLU fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.
Is NetLink NBN Trust Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
NetLink NBN Trust's high three-year median payout ratio of 214% suggests that the company is paying out more to its shareholders than what it is making. In spite of this, the company was able to grow its earnings respectably, as we saw above. That being said, the high payout ratio could be worth keeping an eye on in case the company is unable to keep up its current growth momentum.
Besides, NetLink NBN Trust has been paying dividends over a period of six years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 185%. As a result, NetLink NBN Trust's ROE is not expected to change by much either, which we inferred from the analyst estimate of 4.7% for future ROE.
Summary
Overall, we would be extremely cautious before making any decision on NetLink NBN Trust. While no doubt its earnings growth is pretty respectable, its ROE and earnings retention is quite poor. So while the company has managed to grow its earnings in spite of this, we are unconvinced if this growth could extend, specially during troubled times. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts 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.
