Advertisement
U.S. markets closed
  • S&P 500

    5,160.64
    -49.27 (-0.95%)
     
  • Dow 30

    38,461.51
    -422.16 (-1.09%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    16,170.36
    -136.28 (-0.84%)
     
  • Russell 2000

    2,028.39
    -52.41 (-2.52%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    86.22
    +0.99 (+1.16%)
     
  • Gold

    2,350.50
    -11.90 (-0.50%)
     
  • Silver

    27.99
    +0.00 (+0.00%)
     
  • EUR/USD

    1.0745
    -0.0114 (-1.05%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.5600
    +0.1940 (+4.44%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2540
    -0.0137 (-1.08%)
     
  • USD/JPY

    153.1350
    +1.3800 (+0.91%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    69,801.43
    +676.03 (+0.98%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,961.21
    +26.42 (+0.33%)
     
  • Nikkei 225

    39,581.81
    -191.32 (-0.48%)
     

Taking A Look At Insteel Industries, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:IIIN) ROE

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. We'll use ROE to examine Insteel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:IIIN), by way of a worked example.

Over the last twelve months Insteel Industries has recorded a ROE of 11%. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, it generated $0.11 in profit.

View our latest analysis for Insteel Industries

How Do I Calculate ROE?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit ÷ Shareholders' Equity

Or for Insteel Industries:

11% = US$27m ÷ US$247m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

It's easy to understand the 'net profit' part of that equation, but 'shareholders' equity' requires further explanation. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets.

What Does ROE Signify?

ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, all else equal, investors should like a high ROE. That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses.

Does Insteel Industries Have A Good ROE?

By comparing a company's ROE with its industry average, we can get a quick measure of how good it is. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. The image below shows that Insteel Industries has an ROE that is roughly in line with the Building industry average (14%).

NasdaqGS:IIIN Past Revenue and Net Income, May 30th 2019
NasdaqGS:IIIN Past Revenue and Net Income, May 30th 2019

That isn't amazing, but it is respectable. ROE doesn't tell us if the share price is low, but it can inform us to the nature of the business. For those looking for a bargain, other factors may be more important. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE

Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders' equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same.

Insteel Industries's Debt And Its 11% ROE

Insteel Industries has a debt to equity ratio of just 0.022, which is very low. The combination of modest debt and a very respectable ROE suggests this is a business worth watching. Careful use of debt to boost returns is often very good for shareholders. However, it could reduce the company's ability to take advantage of future opportunities.

The Bottom Line On ROE

Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. In my book the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. If two companies have around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I'd generally prefer the one with higher ROE.

But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.

Advertisement