Levi Strauss & Co.'s (NYSE:LEVI) Stock Has Been Sliding But Fundamentals Look Strong: Is The Market Wrong?
With its stock down 9.0% over the past month, it is easy to disregard Levi Strauss (NYSE:LEVI). But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Levi Strauss' ROE today.
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. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.
See our latest analysis for Levi Strauss
How To Calculate Return On Equity?
The formula for ROE is:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Levi Strauss is:
34% = US$592m ÷ US$1.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to May 2022).
The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn $0.34 in profit.
Why Is ROE Important For 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 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.
Levi Strauss' Earnings Growth And 34% ROE
Firstly, we acknowledge that Levi Strauss has a significantly high ROE. Secondly, even when compared to the industry average of 19% the company's ROE is quite impressive. This probably laid the groundwork for Levi Strauss' moderate 6.8% net income growth seen over the past five years.
As a next step, we compared Levi Strauss' 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 7.5% in the same period.
Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. If you're wondering about Levi Strauss''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Is Levi Strauss Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
Levi Strauss' three-year median payout ratio to shareholders is 15% (implying that it retains 85% of its income), which is on the lower side, so it seems like the management is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business.
Besides, Levi Strauss has been paying dividends over a period of three years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Looking at the current analyst consensus data, we can see that the company's future payout ratio is expected to rise to 29% over the next three years. Accordingly, the expected increase in the payout ratio explains the expected decline in the company's ROE to 26%, over the same period.
Conclusion
On the whole, we feel that Levi Strauss' performance has been quite good. Specifically, we like that the company is reinvesting a huge chunk of its profits at a high rate of return. This of course has caused the company to see substantial growth in its earnings. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings are expected to accelerate. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page 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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