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Returns On Capital Are Showing Encouraging Signs At Halliburton (NYSE:HAL)

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base 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. So when we looked at Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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 Halliburton, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.17 = US$3.0b ÷ (US$23b - US$5.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

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Therefore, Halliburton has an ROCE of 17%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Energy Services industry average of 9.0% it's much better.

View our latest analysis for Halliburton

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In the above chart we have measured Halliburton'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 Halliburton.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Halliburton Tell Us?

Halliburton has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 68% over the last five years. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. The company is doing well in that sense, and it's worth investigating what the management team has planned for long term growth prospects.

What We Can Learn From Halliburton's ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Halliburton has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And since the stock has fallen 28% over the last five years, there might be an opportunity here. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

If you want to continue researching Halliburton, you might be interested to know about the 3 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.

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.

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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