It is hard to get excited after looking at Mineral Resources' (ASX:MIN) recent performance, when its stock has declined 14% over the past month. However, a closer look at its sound financials might cause you to think again. Given that fundamentals usually drive long-term market outcomes, the company is worth looking at. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Mineral Resources' ROE today.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

View our latest analysis for Mineral Resources

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 Mineral Resources is:

39% = AU$1.3b ÷ AU$3.2b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. Another way to think of that is that for every A$1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn A$0.39 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a company’s earnings growth potential. 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.

A Side By Side comparison of Mineral Resources' Earnings Growth And 39% ROE

First thing first, we like that Mineral Resources has an impressive ROE. Second, a comparison with the average ROE reported by the industry of 13% also doesn't go unnoticed by us. Under the circumstances, Mineral Resources' considerable five year net income growth of 51% was to be expected.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Mineral Resources' growth is quite high when compared to the industry average growth of 22% in the same period, which is great to see.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). 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 Mineral Resources''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Mineral Resources Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

The three-year median payout ratio for Mineral Resources is 45%, which is moderately low. The company is retaining the remaining 55%. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Mineral Resources is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Besides, Mineral Resources has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company over the next three years is expected to be approximately 52%. Regardless, Mineral Resources' ROE is speculated to decline to 18% despite there being no anticipated change in its payout ratio.

Conclusion

In total, we are pretty happy with Mineral Resources' 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. That being so, according to the latest industry analyst forecasts, the company's earnings are expected to shrink in the future. 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.

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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