Yahoo Finance Why The 35% Return On Capital At Fabasoft (ETR:FAA) Should Have Your Attention
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. 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 the ROCE trend of Fabasoft (ETR:FAA) we really liked what we saw.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Fabasoft is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.35 = €14m ÷ (€73m - €32m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
Therefore, Fabasoft has an ROCE of 35%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Software industry average of 15%.
Check out our latest analysis for Fabasoft
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Fabasoft 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 analyst report for Fabasoft .
What Can We Tell From Fabasoft's ROCE Trend?
We like the trends that we're seeing from Fabasoft. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 35%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 37% more capital is being employed now too. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.
Another thing to note, Fabasoft has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 44%. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.
The Key Takeaway
To sum it up, Fabasoft has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Since the stock has only returned 37% to shareholders over the last five years, the promising fundamentals may not be recognized yet by investors. So exploring more about this stock could uncover a good opportunity, if the valuation and other metrics stack up.
If you want to continue researching Fabasoft, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.
If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning 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.
