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Are Compagnie des Alpes SA’s (EPA:CDA) Returns On Investment Worth Your While?

Today we'll evaluate Compagnie des Alpes SA (EPA:CDA) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires.

First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed:

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Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for Compagnie des Alpes:

0.079 = €108m ÷ (€1.8b - €467m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.)

Therefore, Compagnie des Alpes has an ROCE of 7.9%.

Check out our latest analysis for Compagnie des Alpes

Does Compagnie des Alpes Have A Good ROCE?

ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. It appears that Compagnie des Alpes's ROCE is fairly close to the Hospitality industry average of 6.6%. Aside from the industry comparison, Compagnie des Alpes's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Investors may wish to consider higher-performing investments.

Our data shows that Compagnie des Alpes currently has an ROCE of 7.9%, compared to its ROCE of 6.0% 3 years ago. This makes us think the business might be improving. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Compagnie des Alpes's past growth compares to other companies.

ENXTPA:CDA Past Revenue and Net Income May 4th 2020
ENXTPA:CDA Past Revenue and Net Income May 4th 2020

When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. Future performance is what matters, and you can see analyst predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Do Compagnie des Alpes's Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE?

Liabilities, such as supplier bills and bank overdrafts, are referred to as current liabilities if they need to be paid within 12 months. The ROCE equation subtracts current liabilities from capital employed, so a company with a lot of current liabilities appears to have less capital employed, and a higher ROCE than otherwise. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

Compagnie des Alpes has total assets of €1.8b and current liabilities of €467m. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 25% of its total assets. This is a modest level of current liabilities, which would only have a small effect on ROCE.

The Bottom Line On Compagnie des Alpes's ROCE

That said, Compagnie des Alpes's ROCE is mediocre, there may be more attractive investments around. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.