Yahoo Finance Here's What's Concerning About Fevertree Drinks' (LON:FEVR) Returns On Capital
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's 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. However, after investigating Fevertree Drinks (LON:FEVR), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.
What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
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. To calculate this metric for Fevertree Drinks, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.07 = UK£17m ÷ (UK£309m - UK£65m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).
Thus, Fevertree Drinks has an ROCE of 7.0%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Beverage industry average of 15%.
View our latest analysis for Fevertree Drinks
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Fevertree Drinks compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Fevertree Drinks.
What Can We Tell From Fevertree Drinks' ROCE Trend?
In terms of Fevertree Drinks' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 44% over the last five years. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.
The Key Takeaway
Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Fevertree Drinks' reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 57% in the last five years. On the whole, we aren't too inspired by the underlying trends and we think there may be better chances of finding a multi-bagger elsewhere.
One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Fevertree Drinks and understanding it should be part of your investment process.
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.
