- CFA Exams
- 2025 Level I
- Topic 4. Financial Statement Analysis
- Learning Module 11. Financial Analysis Techniques
- Subject 6. The DuPont System
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Subject 6. The DuPont System PDF Download
The breakdown of ROE into component ratios to assess the impact of those ratios is generally referred to as the DuPont Model.
Traditional DuPont equation:
- ROE = net income / common equity
- ROE = (net income / net sales) x (net sales / common equity). Therefore, ROE = (net profit margin) x (equity turnover).
- ROE = (net income / net sales) x (net sales / total assets) x (total assets / common equity)
Each of these components impacts the overall return to shareholders. An increase in profit margin, asset turnover, or leverage can all increase the return. There is a downside as well. If a company loses money in any year, the asset turnover or financial leverage multiplies this loss effect.
This implies that to improve its return on equity, a company should become more:
- Profitable (increase net profit margin, e.g., pricing and expense control).
- Efficient (increase total asset turnover, e.g., efficiency of asset use).
- Leveraged (increase its financial leverage ratio).
A company's over- or underperformance on ROA is due to one or both of these causes, or "drivers."
The extended DuPont model takes the above three factors and incorporates the effect of taxes and interest based on the level of financial leverage. It takes the profit margin and backs up to see the effect of interest and taxes on the overall return to shareholders. Therefore the extended model starts with EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) rather than net income.
- EAT = EBT (1 - t), where t is the company's average tax rate. Substituting EBT(1 - t) for EAT in the expanded ROE equation gives us ROE = (EBT / sales)(sales / assets)(assets / equity)(1 - t).
- EBT = EBIT - I, where I equals the company's total interest expense. Substituting (EBIT - I) into the ROE equation for EBT gives us ROE = [(EBIT / sales)(sales / assets) - (interest expense / assets)] (assets / equity) (1 - t).
- Restated in accounting terms:
ROE = [(operating profit margin) x (total asset turnover) - (interest expense rate)] x (financial leverage multiplier) x (tax retention rate)
High financial leverage does not always increase ROE; higher financial leverage will lead to a higher interest expense rate, which may offset the benefits of higher leverage.
This breakdown will help an analyst understand what happened to a company's ROE and why it happened.
User Contributed Comments 6
| User | Comment |
|---|---|
| DariSH | Could anyone explain, why would 'Interest expense/assets' be an 'interest expense rate'? |
| Oksanata | I do not know what kind of extended formula is this...usually they give following one: ROE= (net income/EBT)*(EBT/EBIT)*(EBIT/Revenue)*(Revenue/avg.total assets)*(avg.total assets/avg.equity) OR ROE=tax burden*interest burden*EBIT margin*asset turnover*leverage |
| robbiecow | FAN it Financial Leverage x Asset TO x Net Prof Margin x Int Burden x Tax Burden |
| CFAToad | ROE is total equity, not common equity. |
| breh | How does increasing leverage improve ROE? |
| Streberli | @CFAToad lets assume your company has a stable return on the assets invested in it. if you now double your assets by getting a loan you will earn twice as much but the amount of equity is still the same soo.. the Return on your eqty doubles (interest payments not included to keep it simple). |
I passed! I did not get a chance to tell you before the exam - but your site was excellent. I will definitely take it next year for Level II.
Tamara Schultz
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