Alkane Resources (ASX:ALK) has had a rough three months with its share price down 11%. But if you pay close attention, you might find that its key financial indicators look quite decent, which could mean that the stock could potentially rise in the long-term given how markets usually reward more resilient long-term fundamentals. In this article, we decided to focus on Alkane Resources' 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. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.

View our latest analysis for Alkane Resources

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 Alkane Resources is:

9.5% = AU$30m ÷ AU$317m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every A$1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated A$0.10 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. 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.

Alkane Resources' Earnings Growth And 9.5% ROE

When you first look at it, Alkane Resources' ROE doesn't look that attractive. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 10%, so we won't completely dismiss the company. Having said that, Alkane Resources has shown a modest net income growth of 18% over the past five years. Taking into consideration that the ROE is not particularly high, we reckon that there could also be other factors at play which could be influencing the company's growth. For example, it is possible that the company's management has made some good strategic decisions, or that the company has a low payout ratio.

Next, on comparing Alkane Resources' net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 21% over the last few years.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is Alkane Resources fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.