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ROE - Return on Equity

3 min read

Quick Summary

ROE shows how effectively a company uses shareholders' capital to generate profits.

Return on Equity (ROE) is a profitability ratio that measures how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. It is expressed as a percentage.

ROE Formula

ROE = (Net Income / Shareholders' Equity) × 100

Example

If a company has:

  • Net Income (PAT): ₹50 lakhs
  • Shareholders' Equity: ₹200 lakhs

Then ROE = (₹50 / ₹200) × 100 = 25%

DuPont Analysis

ROE can be broken down into three components:

ROE = Net Profit Margin × Asset Turnover × Equity Multiplier

  • Profitability: Net Profit Margin (Net Income/Revenue)
  • Efficiency: Asset Turnover (Revenue/Total Assets)
  • Leverage: Equity Multiplier (Total Assets/Shareholders' Equity)

Interpretation

  • Higher ROE indicates better use of equity capital
  • Compare with industry benchmarks
  • Sustainable ROE of 15-20%+ is generally good
  • Very high ROE may indicate excessive leverage

Key Points

  • Measures return on shareholders' investment
  • Higher is generally better
  • Compare against industry averages
  • DuPont analysis provides deeper insights
  • Sustainable ROE > 15% is desirable

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good ROE?

Can ROE be too high?