Reward 500 Tiger-coinsMany investors have heard the idea that “long-term compounding ≈ ROE.” This concept was first put forward by Charlie Munger, known as the Munger Rule. In his 1981 shareholder letter, Warren Buffett also pointed out that if PE remains unchanged, a company with 14% ROE will generate a long-term investment compound return of 14% as well. He also endorsed the Munger Rule.
Is compounding only about ROE? Or should we be paying more attention to PE? The answer is: both are correct, but from different angles. $Berkshire Hathaway(BRK.B)$
1. ROE: The “Engine” of Internal Compounding
ROE = Net Income ÷ Shareholders’ Equity
A high ROE means the company can efficiently generate returns on equity, which gives it long-term compounding potential.
This is why Buffett prefers consumer and software companies — light-asset businesses with high ROE.
2. PE: The Investor’s “Price Anchor”
PE (Price-to-Earnings Ratio) = Stock Price ÷ EPS
It represents how much investors are willing to pay for every $1 of profit. Lower PE = better entry price.
But looking at just the current PE is not enough, since it is based on the past 12 months of earnings. That’s where Forward PE (Forward Price-to-Earnings Ratio) comes in:
Forward PE = Stock Price ÷ Next 12 Months’ Forecast EPS
Compared to static PE, Forward PE better reflects market expectations for future earnings.
3. Beyond ROE and PE: Other Indicators for Long-Term Investing
To fully understand compounding, investors should also consider these metrics:
ROIC (Return on Invested Capital)
More comprehensive than ROE since it accounts for both equity and debt. A high ROIC means the company is highly efficient at deploying overall capital.
Profit Margin & Growth Rate
Stable margins and consistent revenue growth are the foundation of sustaining ROE. Without growth, it’s hard for ROE to stay high over the long run.
Free Cash Flow (FCF)
Free cash flow shows whether the company generates “real money” to fund expansion and dividends. Over the long term, discounted cash flow remains the core of valuation.
Before investing in Apple, Buffett asked himself three questions that are highly relevant to long-term investors:
Within the S&P 500, which companies will trade below 15x PE in the next year?
Which companies will earn more over the next 5 years? (with 90% certainty)
Which companies can achieve 7% compound growth? (with 50% certainty)
In essence, this combines Forward PE + earnings growth + compounding potential.
Discussion:
When picking stocks for the long run, do you focus more on ROE or PE? Why?
Do you think ROIC and FCF are more important than ROE in compounding?
If you could only choose one metric for a 10-year investment decision, which one would it be?
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Comments
That said, I often give more weight to ROIC and free cash flow. ROIC reflects how efficiently a company uses all capital, not just equity, while free cash flow is the real money available to fund growth, dividends, or buybacks. Together, they provide a clearer picture of whether compounding is sustainable.
If I had to choose only one metric for a 10-year investment, I’d pick ROIC. It balances profitability with capital efficiency and avoids distortions from leverage. PE moves with sentiment, and ROE can be flattered, but high ROIC paired with steady cash flow growth gives me the most confidence in long-term compounding.
@Tiger_comments @TigerStars
它代表了投資者願意爲每1美元的利潤支付多少。較低的市盈率=較好的入場價格。
但僅關注當前的市盈率是不夠的，因爲它是基於過去12個月的收益。就是在那裏遠期PE（遠期市盈率）進來：
遠期PE=股價÷未來12個月預測每股收益
與靜態PE相比，遠期PE更好地反映了市場對未來收益的預期。