Is Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:ULH) Stock's Recent Performance A Reflection Of Its Financial Health?
Universal Logistics Holdings' (NASDAQ:ULH) stock up by 7.1% over the past three months. Given its impressive performance, we decided to study the company's key financial indicators as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Universal Logistics Holdings' 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. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.
View our latest analysis for Universal Logistics Holdings
How To Calculate Return On Equity?
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 Universal Logistics Holdings is:
36% = US$151m ÷ US$415m (Based on the trailing twelve months to October 2022).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn $0.36 in profit.
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.
Universal Logistics Holdings' Earnings Growth And 36% ROE
Firstly, we acknowledge that Universal Logistics Holdings has a significantly high ROE. Second, a comparison with the average ROE reported by the industry of 25% also doesn't go unnoticed by us. So, the substantial 27% net income growth seen by Universal Logistics Holdings over the past five years isn't overly surprising.
We then compared Universal Logistics Holdings' net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 12% in the same period.
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. One good indicator of expected earnings growth is the P/E ratio which determines the price the market is willing to pay for a stock based on its earnings prospects. So, you may want to check if Universal Logistics Holdings is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.
Is Universal Logistics Holdings Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
Universal Logistics Holdings has a really low three-year median payout ratio of 13%, meaning that it has the remaining 87% left over to reinvest into its business. So it looks like Universal Logistics Holdings is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business, which shows in its earnings growth.
Besides, Universal Logistics Holdings has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.
Conclusion
Overall, we are quite pleased with Universal Logistics Holdings' performance. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.
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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
