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Does QANTM Intellectual Property Limited's (ASX:QIP) Weak Fundamentals Mean A Downturn In Its Stock Should Be Expected?

Most readers would already know that QANTM Intellectual Property's (ASX:QIP) stock increased by 5.9% over the past three months. However, in this article, we decided to focus on its weak financials, as long-term fundamentals ultimately dictate market outcomes. In this article, we decided to focus on QANTM Intellectual Property's ROE.

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. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

View our latest analysis for QANTM Intellectual Property

How Is ROE Calculated?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for QANTM Intellectual Property is:

9.9% = AU$7.1m ÷ AU$72m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. So, this means that for every A$1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of A$0.10.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. 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. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that don’t share these attributes.

A Side By Side comparison of QANTM Intellectual Property's Earnings Growth And 9.9% ROE

To begin with, QANTM Intellectual Property seems to have a respectable ROE. Yet, the fact that the company's ROE is lower than the industry average of 13% does temper our expectations. On further research, we found that QANTM Intellectual Property's earnings over the past five years have been pretty flat. Not to forget, the company does have a decent ROE to begin with, just that it is lower than the industry average. Therefore, the flat earnings growth could be the result of other factors. Such as, the company pays out a huge portion of its earnings as dividends, or is faced with competitve pressures.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that the industry grew its earnings by12% in the same period.

past-earnings-growth
past-earnings-growth

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. 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 QANTM Intellectual Property is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

Is QANTM Intellectual Property Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

The high three-year median payout ratio of 98% (meaning, the company retains only 1.6% of profits) for QANTM Intellectual Property suggests that the company's earnings growth was miniscule as a result of paying out a majority of its earnings.

In addition, QANTM Intellectual Property has been paying dividends over a period of six years suggesting that keeping up dividend payments is way more important to the management even if it comes at the cost of business growth.

Summary

In total, we would have a hard think before deciding on any investment action concerning QANTM Intellectual Property. While its ROE is pretty moderate, the company is retaining very little of its profits, meaning very little of its profits are being reinvested into the business. This explains the lack or absence of growth in its earnings. So far, we've only made a quick discussion around the company's earnings growth. So it may be worth checking this free detailed graph of QANTM Intellectual Property's past earnings, as well as revenue and cash flows to get a deeper insight into the company's performance.

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.

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