When would return on equity equal return on assets?

Return on equity (ROE) equals return on assets (ROA) when a company's financial leverage is neutral, meaning it has no debt or its debt levels do not affect its profitability. This typically occurs in a scenario where the company is entirely financed by equity, resulting in both ROE and ROA reflecting the same return on the company’s net income relative to its total equity and total assets, respectively. In essence, both ratiOS would yield the same value, indicating that all assets are financed by equity.