Yahoo Finance We Like These Underlying Return On Capital Trends At Swatch Group (VTX:UHR)
What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Swatch Group (VTX:UHR) so let's look a bit deeper.
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 Swatch Group, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.091 = CHF1.1b ÷ (CHF14b - CHF1.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
Therefore, Swatch Group has an ROCE of 9.1%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Luxury industry average of 14%.
See our latest analysis for Swatch Group
In the above chart we have measured Swatch Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
The Trend Of ROCE
Swatch Group's ROCE growth is quite impressive. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 27% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.
In Conclusion...
To bring it all together, Swatch Group has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 24% in the last five years. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation.
Like most companies, Swatch 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.
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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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