It is hard to get excited after looking at Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao)'s (HKG:1471) recent performance, when its stock has declined 11% over the past week. However, stock prices are usually driven by a company’s financials over the long term, which in this case look pretty respectable. Specifically, we decided to study Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao)'s 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 other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.
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 Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao) is:
8.3% = CN¥50m ÷ CN¥604m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2025).
The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each HK$1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made HK$0.08 in profit.
See our latest analysis for Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao)
So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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 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.
At first glance, Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao)'s ROE doesn't look very promising. However, given that the company's ROE is similar to the average industry ROE of 9.4%, we may spare it some thought. On the other hand, Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao) reported a moderate 14% net income growth over the past five years. Considering the moderately low ROE, it is quite possible that there might be some other aspects that are positively influencing the company's earnings growth. For instance, the company has a low payout ratio or is being managed efficiently.
As a next step, we compared Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao)'s 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 8.4%.
Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. 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 Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao) fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.
Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao) has a three-year median payout ratio of 36%, which implies that it retains the remaining 64% of its profits. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the decent growth seen by the company, it looks like management is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.
While Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao) has been growing its earnings, it only recently started to pay dividends which likely means that the company decided to impress new and existing shareholders with a dividend.
Overall, we feel that Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao) certainly does have some positive factors to consider. 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. While we won't completely dismiss the company, what we would do, is try to ascertain how risky the business is to make a more informed decision around the company. To know the 1 risk we have identified for Zhongmiao Holdings (Qingdao) visit our risks dashboard for free.
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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.