Investors Should Be Encouraged By Cogstate's (ASX:CGS) Returns On Capital

If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So when we looked at the ROCE trend of Cogstate (ASX:CGS) we really liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. To calculate this metric for Cogstate, this is the formula:

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

0.28 = US$10m ÷ (US$52m - US$16m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

Therefore, Cogstate has an ROCE of 28%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 10% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Cogstate

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Cogstate 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 Cogstate here for free.

So How Is Cogstate's ROCE Trending?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Cogstate. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 28%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 212%. 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.

Our Take On Cogstate's ROCE

All in all, it's terrific to see that Cogstate is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a staggering 110% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

Like most companies, Cogstate does come with some risks, and we've found 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.