Most readers would already be aware that Lincoln Electric Holdings' (NASDAQ:LECO) stock increased significantly by 8.0% over the past month. Given that the market rewards strong financials in the long-term, we wonder if that is the case in this instance. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Lincoln Electric Holdings' ROE today.
Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.
How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?
The formula for ROE is:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Lincoln Electric Holdings is:
34% = US$461m ÷ US$1.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2025).
The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.34 in profit.
View our latest analysis for Lincoln Electric Holdings
What Has ROE Got To Do With 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. 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.
Lincoln Electric Holdings' Earnings Growth And 34% ROE
Firstly, we acknowledge that Lincoln Electric Holdings has a significantly high ROE. Additionally, the company's ROE is higher compared to the industry average of 13% which is quite remarkable. Probably as a result of this, Lincoln Electric Holdings was able to see a decent net income growth of 18% over the last five years.
Next, on comparing Lincoln Electric Holdings' net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 17% over the last few years.
The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. 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 Lincoln Electric Holdings fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.
Is Lincoln Electric Holdings Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
Lincoln Electric Holdings has a healthy combination of a moderate three-year median payout ratio of 30% (or a retention ratio of 70%) and a respectable amount of growth in earnings as we saw above, meaning that the company has been making efficient use of its profits.
Moreover, Lincoln Electric Holdings is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 29%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that Lincoln Electric Holdings' future ROE will be 36% which is again, similar to the current ROE.
Summary
On the whole, we feel that Lincoln Electric Holdings' performance has been quite good. 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. With that said, the latest industry analyst forecasts reveal that the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down. 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.