Yahoo Finance There's Been No Shortage Of Growth Recently For JD.com's (NASDAQ:JD) Returns On Capital
Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, 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 on that note, JD.com (NASDAQ:JD) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for JD.com:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.026 = CN¥7.7b ÷ (CN¥554b - CN¥255b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
So, JD.com has an ROCE of 2.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Online Retail industry average of 13%.
View our latest analysis for JD.com
Above you can see how the current ROCE for JD.com compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
What Can We Tell From JD.com's ROCE Trend?
The fact that JD.com is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. About five years ago the company was generating losses but things have turned around because it's now earning 2.6% on its capital. In addition to that, JD.com is employing 319% more capital than previously which is expected of a company that's trying to break into profitability. This can tell us that the company has plenty of reinvestment opportunities that are able to generate higher returns.
In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 46%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. So shareholders would be pleased that the growth in returns has mostly come from underlying business performance. Nevertheless, there are some potential risks the company is bearing with current liabilities that high, so just keep that in mind.
The Bottom Line On JD.com's ROCE
In summary, it's great to see that JD.com has managed to break into profitability and is continuing to reinvest in its business. Investors may not be impressed by the favorable underlying trends yet because over the last five years the stock has only returned 37% to shareholders. Given that, we'd look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term.
While JD.com looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether JD is currently trading for a fair price.
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.
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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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