Yahoo Finance Investors Met With Slowing Returns on Capital At Halfords Group (LON:HFD)
What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So, when we ran our eye over Halfords Group's (LON:HFD) trend of ROCE, we liked what we saw.
What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
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 Halfords Group:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.16 = UK£117m ÷ (UK£1.1b - UK£364m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to April 2021).
Therefore, Halfords Group has an ROCE of 16%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 10% generated by the Specialty Retail industry.
View our latest analysis for Halfords Group
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Halfords Group compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Halfords Group here for free.
What Does the ROCE Trend For Halfords Group Tell Us?
While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has consistently earned 16% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 49% in that time. 16% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Halfords Group has consistently earned this amount. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.
The Bottom Line On Halfords Group's ROCE
To sum it up, Halfords Group has simply been reinvesting capital steadily, at those decent rates of return. And since the stock has risen strongly over the last five years, it appears the market might expect this trend to continue. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.
Like most companies, Halfords Group does come with some risks, and we've found 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.
While Halfords Group may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.
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. 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.
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