Yahoo Finance CMS Energy's (NYSE:CMS) Returns On Capital Not Reflecting Well On The Business
What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Although, when we looked at CMS Energy (NYSE:CMS), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on CMS Energy is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.05 = US$1.3b ÷ (US$29b - US$1.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).
Therefore, CMS Energy has an ROCE of 5.0%. On its own that's a low return on capital but it's in line with the industry's average returns of 4.7%.
View our latest analysis for CMS Energy
In the above chart we have measured CMS Energy's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for CMS Energy.
The Trend Of ROCE
In terms of CMS Energy's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 5.0% from 6.9% five years ago. 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. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.
The Bottom Line On CMS Energy's ROCE
In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that CMS Energy is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. Furthermore the stock has climbed 72% over the last five years, it would appear that investors are upbeat about the future. So should these growth trends continue, we'd be optimistic on the stock going forward.
If you'd like to know more about CMS Energy, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them is potentially serious.
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.
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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.
