Yahoo Finance Johnson Service Group (LON:JSG) Will Want To Turn Around Its Return Trends
What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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. Having said that, from a first glance at Johnson Service Group (LON:JSG) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.
What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Johnson Service Group:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.097 = UK£33m ÷ (UK£434m - UK£92m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).
So, Johnson Service Group has an ROCE of 9.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Commercial Services industry average of 8.3%.
Check out our latest analysis for Johnson Service Group
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Johnson Service 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 Johnson Service Group here for free.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Johnson Service Group doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 13%, but since then they've fallen to 9.7%. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.
The Bottom Line On Johnson Service Group's ROCE
While returns have fallen for Johnson Service Group in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. These trends don't appear to have influenced returns though, because the total return from the stock has been mostly flat over the last five years. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.
If you want to continue researching Johnson Service Group, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.
While Johnson Service Group isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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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.
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