Yahoo Finance ZEAL Network (ETR:TIMA) May Have Issues Allocating Its Capital
To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? 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. Having said that, from a first glance at ZEAL Network (ETR:TIMA) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.
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 ZEAL Network is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.07 = €24m ÷ (€395m - €58m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
Thus, ZEAL Network has an ROCE of 7.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Hospitality industry average of 4.4%.
Check out our latest analysis for ZEAL Network
Above you can see how the current ROCE for ZEAL Network 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 ZEAL Network for free.
What Can We Tell From ZEAL Network's ROCE Trend?
When we looked at the ROCE trend at ZEAL Network, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 33%, but since then they've fallen to 7.0%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.
On a related note, ZEAL Network has decreased its current liabilities to 15% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE.
In Conclusion...
In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that ZEAL Network is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. And the stock has done incredibly well with a 105% return over the last five years, so long term investors are no doubt ecstatic with that result. So should these growth trends continue, we'd be optimistic on the stock going forward.
Like most companies, ZEAL Network does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.
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.
