Return on equity

Return on equity (ROE)

Indicator of profitability. Determined by dividing net income for the past 12 months by common stockholder equity (adjusted for stock splits). Result is shown as a percentage. Investors use ROE as a measure of how a company is using its money. ROE may be decomposed into return on assets (ROA) multiplied by financial leverage (total assets/total equity).

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return on equity (ROE)

A measure of the net income that a firm is able to earn as a percent of stockholders' investment. Many analysts consider ROE the single most important financial ratio applying to stockholders and the best measure of performance by a firm's management. Return on equity is calculated by dividing net income after taxes by owners' equity. Compare profitability ratio. See also return on common stock equity.

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Return on equity

A publicly-traded company's earnings divided by the amount of money invested in common stock, expressed as a percentage. This is a measure of how well the company is investing the money invested in it. A high return on equity indicates that the company is spending wisely and is likely profitable; a low return on equity indicates the opposite. As a result, high returns on equity lead to higher stock prices. Some analysts believe that return on equity is the single most important indicator in publicly-traded companies. See also: Growth stock.

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Return on equity. Return on equity (ROE) measures how much a company earns within a specific period in relation to the amount that's invested in its common stock.

It is calculated by dividing the company's net income before common stock dividends are paid by the company's net worth, which is the stockholders' equity.

If the ROE is higher than the company's return on assets, it may be a sign that management is using leverage to increase profits and profit margins.

In general, it's considered a sign of good management when a company's performance over time is at least as good as the average return on equity for other companies in the same industry.