Yahoo Finance MicroStrategy's (NASDAQ:MSTR) Returns On Capital Not Reflecting Well On The Business
What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
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. The formula for this calculation on MicroStrategy is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.005 = US$11m ÷ (US$2.4b - US$317m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).
So, MicroStrategy has an ROCE of 0.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Software industry average of 9.5%.
Check out our latest analysis for MicroStrategy
In the above chart we have measured MicroStrategy's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering MicroStrategy here for free.
The Trend Of ROCE
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at MicroStrategy doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 11%, but since then they've fallen to 0.5%. 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.
On a related note, MicroStrategy has decreased its current liabilities to 13% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.
The Key Takeaway
Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by MicroStrategy's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 105% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward.
On a separate note, we've found 5 warning signs for MicroStrategy you'll probably want to know about.
While MicroStrategy 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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