Getty Realty Corp.'s (NYSE:GTY) Stock Is Going Strong: Is the Market Following Fundamentals?
Getty Realty (NYSE:GTY) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 14% over the last three months. Given that the market rewards strong financials in the long-term, we wonder if that is the case in this instance. In this article, we decided to focus on Getty Realty's ROE.
Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
View our latest analysis for Getty Realty
How To 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 Getty Realty is:
11% = US$81m ÷ US$752m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.11.
What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?
So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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 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.
Getty Realty's Earnings Growth And 11% ROE
To begin with, Getty Realty seems to have a respectable ROE. Especially when compared to the industry average of 6.9% the company's ROE looks pretty impressive. This certainly adds some context to Getty Realty's decent 13% net income growth seen over the past five years.
Next, on comparing Getty Realty's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 12% in the same period.
Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. 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. What is GTY worth today? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether GTY is currently mispriced by the market.
Is Getty Realty Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?
Getty Realty seems to be paying out most of its income as dividends judging by its three-year median payout ratio of 72%, meaning the company retains only 28% of its income. However, this is typical for REITs as they are often required by law to distribute most of their earnings. In spite of this, the company was able to grow its earnings by a fair bit, as we saw above.
Moreover, Getty Realty 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. Looking at the current analyst consensus data, we can see that the company's future payout ratio is expected to rise to 148% over the next three years. Therefore, the expected rise in the payout ratio explains why the company's ROE is expected to decline to 7.6% over the same period.
Summary
In total, we are pretty happy with Getty Realty's performance. We are particularly impressed by the considerable earnings growth posted by the company, which was likely backed by its high ROE. While the company is paying out most of its earnings as dividends, it has been able to grow its earnings in spite of it, so that's probably a good sign. With that said, on studying the latest analyst forecasts, we found that while the company has seen growth in its past earnings, analysts expect its future earnings to shrink. 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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