Is Public Joint Stock Company Gazprom Neft (MCX:SIBN) Creating Value For Shareholders?

Today we'll evaluate Public Joint Stock Company Gazprom Neft (MCX:SIBN) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. To be precise, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that will inform our view of the quality of the business.

First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. In general, businesses with a higher ROCE are usually better quality. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.'

How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for Gazprom Neft:

0.15 = RUруб479b ÷ (RUруб3.6t - RUруб482b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)

So, Gazprom Neft has an ROCE of 15%.

View our latest analysis for Gazprom Neft

Does Gazprom Neft Have A Good ROCE?

ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. Using our data, Gazprom Neft's ROCE appears to be around the 14% average of the Oil and Gas industry. Aside from the industry comparison, Gazprom Neft's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Readers may find more attractive investment prospects elsewhere.

Our data shows that Gazprom Neft currently has an ROCE of 15%, compared to its ROCE of 8.4% 3 years ago. This makes us wonder if the company is improving.

It is important to remember that ROCE shows past performance, and is not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is only a point-in-time measure. Given the industry it operates in, Gazprom Neft could be considered cyclical. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Gazprom Neft.

Do Gazprom Neft's Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE?

Liabilities, such as supplier bills and bank overdrafts, are referred to as current liabilities if they need to be paid within 12 months. The ROCE equation subtracts current liabilities from capital employed, so a company with a lot of current liabilities appears to have less capital employed, and a higher ROCE than otherwise. To check the impact of this, we calculate if a company has high current liabilities relative to its total assets.

Gazprom Neft has total assets of RUруб3.6t and current liabilities of RUруб482b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 13% of its total assets. This very reasonable level of current liabilities would not boost the ROCE by much.

The Bottom Line On Gazprom Neft's ROCE

That said, Gazprom Neft's ROCE is mediocre, there may be more attractive investments around. You might be able to find a better investment than Gazprom Neft. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.