Yahoo Finance Returns On Capital Signal Tricky Times Ahead For Adecoagro (NYSE:AGRO)
To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Adecoagro (NYSE:AGRO) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.
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. The formula for this calculation on Adecoagro is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.10 = US$250m ÷ (US$3.0b - US$550m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
So, Adecoagro has an ROCE of 10%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 9.5%.
View our latest analysis for Adecoagro
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Adecoagro compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Adecoagro here for free.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
When we looked at the ROCE trend at Adecoagro, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 13%, but since then they've fallen to 10%. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.
In Conclusion...
While returns have fallen for Adecoagro in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. However, total returns to shareholders over the last five years have been flat, which could indicate these growth trends potentially aren't accounted for yet by investors. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.
If you'd like to know more about Adecoagro, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them is potentially serious.
While Adecoagro may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.
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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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