Today we’ll look at Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:BEI) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, we’re going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.
First, we’ll go over how we calculate ROCE. Then we’ll compare its ROCE to similar companies. Last but not least, we’ll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
ROCE measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Overall, it is a valuable metric that has its flaws. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that ‘one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar’.
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 Beiersdorf:
0.16 = €1.1b ÷ (€10b – €2.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019.)
So, Beiersdorf has an ROCE of 16%.
Check out our latest analysis for Beiersdorf
Is Beiersdorf’s ROCE Good?
ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. Beiersdorf’s ROCE appears to be substantially greater than the 11% average in the Personal Products industry. I think that’s good to see, since it implies the company is better than other companies at making the most of its capital. Regardless of where Beiersdorf sits next to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms appears satisfactory, and this company could be worth a closer look.
The image below shows how Beiersdorf’s ROCE compares to its industry, and you can click it to see more detail on its past growth.
When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. ROCE is only a point-in-time measure. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Beiersdorf.
Beiersdorf’s Current Liabilities And Their Impact On Its ROCE
Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To check the impact of this, we calculate if a company has high current liabilities relative to its total assets.
Beiersdorf has total assets of €10b and current liabilities of €2.8b. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 28% of its total assets. Current liabilities are minimal, limiting the impact on ROCE.
Our Take On Beiersdorf’s ROCE
This is good to see, and with a sound ROCE, Beiersdorf could be worth a closer look. There might be better investments than Beiersdorf out there, but you will have to work hard to find them . These promising businesses with rapidly growing earnings might be right up your alley.
I will like Beiersdorf better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.
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