Will Weakness in Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:IRWD) Stock Prove Temporary Given Strong Fundamentals?

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IRWD) has had a rough month with its share price down 11%. However, stock prices are usually driven by a company’s financial performance over the long term, which in this case looks quite promising. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Ironwood Pharmaceuticals' ROE today.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

Check out our latest analysis for Ironwood Pharmaceuticals

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 Ironwood Pharmaceuticals is:

32% = US$173m ÷ US$533m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn $0.32 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And 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. 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.

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals' Earnings Growth And 32% ROE

First thing first, we like that Ironwood Pharmaceuticals has an impressive ROE. Second, a comparison with the average ROE reported by the industry of 23% also doesn't go unnoticed by us. Under the circumstances, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals' considerable five year net income growth of 69% was to be expected.

We then compared Ironwood Pharmaceuticals' 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 21% in the same period.

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is Ironwood Pharmaceuticals fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Given that Ironwood Pharmaceuticals doesn't pay any dividend to its shareholders, we infer that the company has been reinvesting all of its profits to grow its business.

Summary

On the whole, we feel that Ironwood Pharmaceuticals' performance has been quite good. Specifically, we like that the company is reinvesting a huge chunk of its profits at a high rate of return. This of course has caused the company to see substantial growth in its earnings. That being so, a study of the latest analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to see a slowdown in its future earnings growth. 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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