Returns On Capital Are Showing Encouraging Signs At Dubai Investments PJSC (DFM:DIC)

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So when we looked at Dubai Investments PJSC (DFM:DIC) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Dubai Investments PJSC, this is the formula:

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

0.038 = د.إ648m ÷ (د.إ22b - د.إ5.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Therefore, Dubai Investments PJSC has an ROCE of 3.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Industrials industry average of 6.6%.

See our latest analysis for Dubai Investments PJSC

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Dubai Investments PJSC 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 report for Dubai Investments PJSC.

How Are Returns Trending?

While in absolute terms it isn't a high ROCE, it's promising to see that it has been moving in the right direction. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 3.8%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 31% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

What We Can Learn From Dubai Investments PJSC's ROCE

All in all, it's terrific to see that Dubai Investments PJSC is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a solid 48% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Dubai Investments PJSC can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

Dubai Investments PJSC does have some risks, we noticed 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

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.

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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