Yahoo Finance BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA) Could Be Struggling To Allocate Capital
Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.
What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for BorgWarner, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.11 = US$1.4b ÷ (US$17b - US$3.9b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).
Thus, BorgWarner has an ROCE of 11%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Auto Components industry average of 9.0%.
See our latest analysis for BorgWarner
In the above chart we have measured BorgWarner's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering BorgWarner here for free.
So How Is BorgWarner's ROCE Trending?
In terms of BorgWarner's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 16%, but since then they've fallen to 11%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.
The Key Takeaway
Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for BorgWarner. And there could be an opportunity here if other metrics look good too, because the stock has declined 13% in the last five years. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.
On a final note, we've found 3 warning signs for BorgWarner that we think you should be aware of.
For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
