What is RoE (Return on Equity)? And Why always consider debt when calculating RoE?

Dear friends,

Let me try to explain Return on Equity in a simple manner.

What is RoE (Return on Equity)?

“Return on equity measures a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested.” — Investopedia

Return on Equity = Net Income/Shareholder’s Equity

That means in a simple manner % return which we earn by making profit from amount which we have invested, our own money.

If I had put Rs.100 in bank FD and on that Rs.100, I get Rs.8 then my RoE (%) on that particular investment is 8%.

Higher the RoE (%) means we can able to generate higher profit by utilizing our funds. So that incremental profit generation helps us for fulfilling our wishes and also can able to secure our future also.

The same concept applies with company’s RoE (%).

Higher the RoE (%) means company can able to generate higher profit by utilizing their funds. So that incremental profit generation helps to the company to survive for the longer period of time and also can able to make good wealth creating decisions.

Always high RoE (%) is good and should believe it blindly ????? And not to believe it blindly then why?????

Now, question is why always consider debt when calculating RoE????

What is debt?

“Debt is an amount of money borrowed by one party from another.” (Investopedia)

A debt arrangement gives the borrowing party permission to borrow money under the condition that it is to be paid back at a later date, usually with interest.

Means borrowing Rs.100 with conditions to pay back with Rs.110, if 10% interest rate.

Let me explain 3 different situations with an examples —

So that with a higher debt level, RoE (%) shows higher because of lower level of own fund and profit is excess of interest payment. But what if odds get wrong.

Risk and uncertainty never comes to us with prior intimations. So we must have to be very careful.

Sometimes its happen that we stay lucky enough to not faced risk in our life time but surprise and shock happens as it never happens before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQs47IT-d78

Now, let me take an example with the situation where surprise come and start earning low profit —

Thus, as company or an individual who having higher level of debt then they only benefited till negative surprises not come to their life. But as negative surprises start coming then survival become a question mark for the companies as well as the individual.

This is only the reason why we try to select business having no debt because if worst happens then also business can able to survive.

And if we found business with debt then must need to check earning and interest payment situation. Earning must be much higher then interest payment; so that can chances to survive with the worst situations.

Bonus

Same we do also in the stock market —-

We forget worst scenario when surrounding us all happens good and start believing that

But my dear friends, time is always the same.

And then result of believing this time is different is —

Just one single moves enough to destroy us if we have built our portfolio on leverage or play with stock market with leverage.

Time always remain same; it’s a pendulum so not focus on making early huge returns which can cause to destruction of your life.

Inspired by — Safal Niveshak and Fundoo Professor

 

Pat Dorsey Moats

On 17th January 2016, I got an opportunity to address one group of investors. I am so thankful to all my friends who provided me such an opportunity.

Investor Philosophy – Pat Dorsey

This presentation (Click here Pat Dorsey) based on what I learned from Pat Dorsey and about his philosophy.

Company A earns High profit / High Return on Capital that attracts many players to the same industry; which resulted in a higher level of competitions. Higher competitions affect to the margins of the company A and continuously increasing competition affects to the earnings of the company A. and if company A doesn’t have any Competitive Advantage then the business of company A can be in problem.

So the question is what is the competitive advantage?

Now, let me explain with a simple example that how USP helps.

Above all are benefits of having a strong USP of Rajinikanth. Now, compare these benefits to the business class.

So before understanding, what is the competitive advantage? I explain what can not be a competitive advantage?

If a company cannot able to raise the price of the products/services then we should understand that there is an absence of competitive advantage. (Eg.: – ITC Ltd. – Budget imposes the duty on cigarette but company easily able to pass those costs to the customers and that’s the reason for the survival of the company in adverse situations.)

We can easily able to recall brands. Meggie is becoming synonyms for noodles, Fevicol becomes synonyms for adhesive, and Colgate is becoming synonyms for toothpaste.

Also, the company which has the ability to change consumer behavior that Amazon has done (From traditional bookstore to online bookstore).

Patents & Licenses can be useful for protecting the interest of business (not considering strong moats because after the expiry of patents other companies also can able to register it and licenses can fall in the compliance risk).

Any psychological barrier or any cost associated with a switch from using current product/service to other product/service.

As the addition of new users make the network more and more strong and replicating such model becomes very difficult.

Low-cost producer compares to other players in the same industry.

Wide and strong moat resulted in the long-term Return on Capital generation and if absent of moat not able to provide long-term Return on Capital to the business.

Bad managers destroy business for own enjoyment and ambitions.

Now, what to select and what to avoid is up to us. If we able to select good business with the good manager then wealth creation become more effective. That is like the good horse with the good jockey that can able to win a race.

For more details, Kindly check — Part 1 , Part 2

Inspired by — Pat Dorsey Moats

Disclaimer: This is not a recommendation to Buy-Sell-Hold. And I am not a SEBI registered analyst.

I am really grateful to – Mr. Neeraj Marathe Sir, Prof. Sanjay Bakshi Sir, and Mr. Vishal Khandelwal Sir.