Returns On Capital Signal Tricky Times Ahead For Compumedics (ASX:CMP)

To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Compumedics (ASX:CMP), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Compumedics is:

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

0.041 = AU$940k ÷ (AU$36m - AU$13m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).

So, Compumedics has an ROCE of 4.1%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Medical Equipment industry average of 8.8%.

View our latest analysis for Compumedics

In the above chart we have measured Compumedics' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Compumedics, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 4.1% from 23% five years ago. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

Our Take On Compumedics' ROCE

In summary, we're somewhat concerned by Compumedics' diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. In spite of that, the stock has delivered a 12% return to shareholders who held over the last five years. Regardless, we don't like the trends as they are and if they persist, we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Compumedics, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

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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. 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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