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Microlesson · 5-min read

Ratios for Investment Analysis

# Ratios for Investment Analysis

Three key ratios used by investors to evaluate investment opportunities:

## 1. Earnings Per Share (EPS)

EPS = Net Profit available to Equity Shareholders / Number of Equity Shares Outstanding

  • Measures the profit attributable to each equity share.
  • A key driver of MPS and dividend capacity.

## 2. Dividend Yield Ratio

Dividend Yield = [Equity Dividend per Share (DPS) / Market Price per Share (MPS)] * 100

  • Indicates the cash return an investor earns on the current market price.
  • Useful for income-oriented investors comparing across stocks/instruments.

## 3. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE = [Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) / Capital Employed] * 100

  • Measures the overall efficiency of capital deployed (debt + equity).
  • Can be computed pre-tax or post-tax depending on the analysis.

## Why These Three?

They collectively address the three concerns of an investor:

  • EPS — How much profit is mine per share?
  • Dividend Yield — What cash return do I get on today's price?
  • ROCE — How efficiently is my capital being used by the firm?

Worked example

### Example 1

Illustration: Net Profit Rs. 50 lakh; 5,00,000 equity shares; DPS = Rs. 4; MPS = Rs. 80; EBIT = Rs. 80 lakh; Capital Employed = Rs. 400 lakh.

  • EPS = 50,00,000 / 5,00,000 = Rs. 10
  • Dividend Yield = 4 / 80 * 100 = 5%
  • ROCE = 80 / 400 * 100 = 20%

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

  • Using Net Profit BEFORE preference dividend in the EPS numerator — must use profit available to equity shareholders
  • Computing dividend yield on face value instead of market price
  • Using PAT instead of EBIT in ROCE numerator (unless specifically asked for post-tax ROCE)
Reference:
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