Yahoo Finanza Is Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc.'s (NYSE:UBA) Stock On A Downtrend As A Result Of Its Poor Financials?
With its stock down 37% over the past three months, it is easy to disregard Urstadt Biddle Properties (NYSE:UBA). To decide if this trend could continue, we decided to look at its weak fundamentals as they shape the long-term market trends. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Urstadt Biddle Properties' 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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
View our latest analysis for Urstadt Biddle Properties
How To 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 Urstadt Biddle Properties is:
6.3% = US$41m ÷ US$651m (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2020).
The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.06.
Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?
So far, we've learnt that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. 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.
A Side By Side comparison of Urstadt Biddle Properties' Earnings Growth And 6.3% ROE
When you first look at it, Urstadt Biddle Properties' ROE doesn't look that attractive. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 5.6%, so we won't completely dismiss the company. Having said that, Urstadt Biddle Properties' five year net income decline rate was 11%. Bear in mind, the company does have a slightly low ROE. So that's what might be causing earnings growth to shrink.
That being said, we compared Urstadt Biddle Properties' performance with the industry and were concerned when we found that while the company has shrunk its earnings, the industry has grown its earnings at a rate of 14% in the same period.
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. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is UBA fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.
Is Urstadt Biddle Properties Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?
Urstadt Biddle Properties' very high three-year median payout ratio of 126% over the last three years suggests that the company is paying its shareholders more than what it is earning and this explains the company's shrinking earnings. Paying a dividend higher than reported profits is not a sustainable move. You can see the 3 risks we have identified for Urstadt Biddle Properties by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.
In addition, Urstadt Biddle Properties has been paying dividends over a period of at least ten years suggesting that keeping up dividend payments is way more important to the management even if it comes at the cost of business growth.
Summary
In total, we would have a hard think before deciding on any investment action concerning Urstadt Biddle Properties. Particularly, its ROE is a huge disappointment, not to mention its lack of proper reinvestment into the business. As a result its earnings growth has also been quite disappointing. That being so, the latest industry analyst forecasts show that the analysts are expecting to see a huge improvement in the company's earnings growth rate. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Thank you for reading.
