Yahoo Finance There Are Reasons To Feel Uneasy About Skechers U.S.A's (NYSE:SKX) Returns On Capital
If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount 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. In light of that, when we looked at Skechers U.S.A (NYSE:SKX) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. To calculate this metric for Skechers U.S.A, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.13 = US$582m ÷ (US$5.9b - US$1.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).
So, Skechers U.S.A has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Luxury industry average of 14%.
View our latest analysis for Skechers U.S.A
In the above chart we have measured Skechers U.S.A'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 Skechers U.S.A.
How Are Returns Trending?
When we looked at the ROCE trend at Skechers U.S.A, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 13% from 22% five years ago. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.
The Key Takeaway
Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for Skechers U.S.A. And the stock has followed suit returning a meaningful 76% to shareholders over the last five years. So while the underlying trends could already be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.
One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Skechers U.S.A and understanding this should be part of your investment process.
For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.
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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