IAMGOLD (TSE:IMG) Is Finding It Tricky To Allocate Its Capital
When it comes to investing, there are some useful financial metrics that can warn us when a business is potentially in trouble. More often than not, we'll see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining amount of capital employed. Trends like this ultimately mean the business is reducing its investments and also earning less on what it has invested. On that note, looking into IAMGOLD (TSE:IMG), we weren't too upbeat about how things were going.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for IAMGOLD:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.015 = US$57m ÷ (US$4.4b - US$646m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).
Thus, IAMGOLD has an ROCE of 1.5%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 1.5% average generated by the Metals and Mining industry.
Check out our latest analysis for IAMGOLD
In the above chart we have measured IAMGOLD's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
What Can We Tell From IAMGOLD's ROCE Trend?
There is reason to be cautious about IAMGOLD, given the returns are trending downwards. About five years ago, returns on capital were 16%, however they're now substantially lower than that as we saw above. On top of that, it's worth noting that the amount of capital employed within the business has remained relatively steady. Since returns are falling and the business has the same amount of assets employed, this can suggest it's a mature business that hasn't had much growth in the last five years. If these trends continue, we wouldn't expect IAMGOLD to turn into a multi-bagger.
The Bottom Line On IAMGOLD's ROCE
In summary, it's unfortunate that IAMGOLD is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Long term shareholders who've owned the stock over the last five years have experienced a 43% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. Unless there is a shift to a more positive trajectory in these metrics, we would look elsewhere.
If you want to continue researching IAMGOLD, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.
While IAMGOLD isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here