With its stock down 7.4% over the past three months, it is easy to disregard D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI). But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. Particularly, we will be paying attention to D.R. Horton's ROE today.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.

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How Do You 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 D.R. Horton is:

17% = US$4.3b ÷ US$25b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2025).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.17 in profit.

Check out our latest analysis for D.R. Horton

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. 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.

D.R. Horton's Earnings Growth And 17% ROE

At first glance, D.R. Horton seems to have a decent ROE. Further, the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 15%. This probably goes some way in explaining D.R. Horton's moderate 12% growth over the past five years amongst other factors.

Next, on comparing D.R. Horton's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 14% over the last few years.

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. If you're wondering about D.R. Horton's's valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is D.R. Horton Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

D.R. Horton's three-year median payout ratio to shareholders is 7.2% (implying that it retains 93% of its income), which is on the lower side, so it seems like the management is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business.

Moreover, D.R. Horton is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company is expected to rise to 13% over the next three years. Despite the higher expected payout ratio, the company's ROE is not expected to change by much.

Summary

On the whole, we feel that D.R. Horton's performance has been quite good. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. That being so, a study of the latest analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to see a slowdown in its future earnings growth. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.