Yahoo Finance Premier (NASDAQ:PINC) Will Be Hoping To Turn Its Returns On Capital Around
What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating Premier (NASDAQ:PINC), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.
Understanding 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. The formula for this calculation on Premier is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.11 = US$290m ÷ (US$3.4b - US$753m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
So, Premier has an ROCE of 11%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Healthcare industry average of 10%.
View our latest analysis for Premier
In the above chart we have measured Premier's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Premier.
The Trend Of ROCE
When we looked at the ROCE trend at Premier, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 11% from 17% five years ago. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.
The Bottom Line On Premier's ROCE
In summary, we're somewhat concerned by Premier's diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. In spite of that, the stock has delivered a 14% return to shareholders who held over the last five years. Either way, we aren't huge fans of the current trends and so with that we think you might find better investments elsewhere.
One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Premier that you might find interesting.
While Premier 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.
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