It is hard to get excited after looking at Aviat Networks' (NASDAQ:AVNW) recent performance, when its stock has declined 13% over the past three months. It seems that the market might have completely ignored the positive aspects of the company's fundamentals and decided to weigh-in more on the negative aspects. Long-term fundamentals are usually what drive market outcomes, so it's worth paying close attention. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Aviat Networks' ROE today.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.

See our latest analysis for Aviat Networks

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

Return on equity 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 Aviat Networks is:

5.3% = US$14m ÷ US$259m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.05.

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. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features.

Aviat Networks' Earnings Growth And 5.3% ROE

On the face of it, Aviat Networks' ROE is not much to talk about. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 8.2%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. As a result, Aviat Networks reported a very low income growth of 3.9% over the past five years.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Aviat Networks' reported growth was lower than the industry growth of 13% over the last few years, which is not something we like to see.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. 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 Aviat Networks fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.