What is a Plowback Ratio?

The plowback ratio is a simple metric showing the ratio of earnings retained by the company (i.e., not paid out as a dividend) to the total earnings. 

The formula is as follows: 

Plowback Ratio = 1 - Payout Ratio (Earnings Per Share / Dividends Per Share) 

For example, a company earns $10 per share. It then declares a $6 per share dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 60% and a plowback ratio is 40%.

How is a Plowback Ratio Used?

Growth-based companies generally do not pay a dividend. That is, the companies seek to achieve growth with any revenue. Thus, the revenue is allocated to growth efforts. In this case the plowback ratio is 100%. Investors purchase stock in these companies under the expectation that the value of the stock will rise - rather than expecting a dividend return. The stock rises under the assumption that increased growth means the company will eventually be in a position to pay a dividend that is representative of its eventual size.

Related Topics

• Trend Analysis of Financial Statements
• Common-Size Analysis (Vertical Analysis) of Financial Statements
• Common-Size Financial Statement
• Net Dollar Retention
• Horizontal Analysis
• Per Share Basis
• Profitability Ratios
• Gross Margin Ratio
• Profit Margin
• After Tax Profit Margin
• Return on Assets
• Total Shareholder Return
• Cash on Cash Return
• Earnings Per Share
• Diluted Earnings Per Share
• Asset Turnover Ratio
• Berry Ratio
• Break-Even Analysis
• Liquidity Ratio
• Current ratio  (Working Capital Ratio)
• Working Ratio
• Quick Ratio
• Quick Assets
• Days Sales Outstanding
• Cash Ratio (Operating Cash Flow Ratio)
• Receivables turnover ratio (often converted to average collection period)
• Accounts Payable Turnover Ratio
• Inventory turnover ratio (often converted to average sale period)
• Solvency (Coverage Ratios)
• Leverage Ratio (Debt Ratio)
• Asset Coverage Ratio
• Debt to Equity
• Debt to Income Ratio
• Debt Coverage Ratio
• Times Interest Earned
• Market Capitalization
• Price to Equity Ratio
• Book-To-Market Ratio
• Price to Earnings Ratio
• Price to Earnings Growth (PEG) Ratio
• Price to Earnings Growth Payback Ratio
• CAPE Ratio
• Price to Cash Flow Ratio
• Capital Maintenance
• Book to Bill Ratio
• Asset Turnover Ratio
• Plowback Ratio 
• Days Inventory Outstanding
• Days Payable Outstanding
• Days Sales Outstanding
• Non-financial Performance Measures: The Balance Scorecard