Will Weakness in PotlatchDeltic Corporation's (NASDAQ:PCH) Stock Prove Temporary Given Strong Fundamentals?
With its stock down 4.9% over the past month, it is easy to disregard PotlatchDeltic (NASDAQ:PCH). However, stock prices are usually driven by a company’s financial performance over the long term, which in this case looks quite promising. Specifically, we decided to study PotlatchDeltic's ROE in this article.
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 other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.
See our latest analysis for PotlatchDeltic
How Is ROE Calculated?
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 PotlatchDeltic is:
15% = US$334m ÷ US$2.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).
The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn $0.15 in profit.
What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?
We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. 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.
PotlatchDeltic's Earnings Growth And 15% ROE
At first glance, PotlatchDeltic seems to have a decent ROE. Especially when compared to the industry average of 6.8% the company's ROE looks pretty impressive. This probably laid the ground for PotlatchDeltic's significant 40% net income growth seen over the past five years. However, there could also be other causes behind this growth. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.
We then compared PotlatchDeltic's 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 13% in the same period.
Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. If you're wondering about PotlatchDeltic's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.
Is PotlatchDeltic Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
PotlatchDeltic seems to be paying out most of its income as dividends judging by its three-year median payout ratio of 64%, meaning the company retains only 36% of its income. However, this is typical for REITs as they are often required by law to distribute most of their earnings. Regardless, this hasn't hampered its ability to grow as we saw earlier.
Besides, PotlatchDeltic has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. 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 116% over the next three years.
Summary
In total, we are pretty happy with PotlatchDeltic'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. That being so, according to the latest industry analyst forecasts, the company's earnings are expected to shrink in the future. 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.
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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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