RETURN ON EQUITY Definition

Bookmark and Share

RETURN ON EQUITY (ROE) measures the overall efficiency of the firm in managing its total investments in assets and in generating a return to stockholders. It is the primary measure of how well management is running the company. ROE allows you to quickly gauge whether a company is a value creator or a cash consumer. By relating the earnings generated to the shareholders equity, you can see how much cash is created from the existing assets. Clearly, all things being equal, the higher a companys ROE, the better the company. Formula: Net Income / Stockholders Equity

Learn new Accounting Terms

RETURN ON NET WORTH see RETURN ON STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY.

FIXED ASSETS (NET) / NET WORTH measures liquidity by comparing "fixed" assets with "fixed" capital. A lower ratio indicates proportionately smaller investment and a better "cushion" for creditors in case of liquidation. This may be important if the fixed assets are not easily used in other businesses. The presence of substantial leased fixed assets (not shown on the balance sheet) may deceptively lower this ratio. Therefore smaller is better, i.e., greater than .75 (75%) should merit caution.

Suggest a Term

Enter Search Term

Enter a term, then click the entry you would like to view.