Yahoo Finance Our Take On The Returns On Capital At discoverIE Group (LON:DSCV)
Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think discoverIE Group (LON:DSCV) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for discoverIE Group, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.084 = UK£28m ÷ (UK£434m - UK£104m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2020).
So, discoverIE Group has an ROCE of 8.4%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 8.4%, it's still a low return by itself.
View our latest analysis for discoverIE Group
Above you can see how the current ROCE for discoverIE Group compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for discoverIE Group.
What Can We Tell From discoverIE Group's ROCE Trend?
In terms of discoverIE Group's historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. The company has consistently earned 8.4% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 115% in that time. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.
The Bottom Line
As we've seen above, discoverIE Group's returns on capital haven't increased but it is reinvesting in the business. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park delivering a 138% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.
Like most companies, discoverIE Group does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.
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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