Returns On Capital Are Showing Encouraging Signs At SILK Laser Australia (ASX:SLA)

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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 SILK Laser Australia (ASX:SLA) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for SILK Laser Australia:

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

0.072 = AU$10m ÷ (AU$179m - AU$39m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

So, SILK Laser Australia has an ROCE of 7.2%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 6.2% average generated by the Healthcare industry.

See our latest analysis for SILK Laser Australia

Above you can see how the current ROCE for SILK Laser Australia 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 SILK Laser Australia.

How Are Returns Trending?

The fact that SILK Laser Australia is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making three years ago but is is now generating 7.2% on its capital. In addition to that, SILK Laser Australia is employing 327% more capital than previously which is expected of a company that's trying to break into profitability. This can tell us that the company has plenty of reinvestment opportunities that are able to generate higher returns.

The Bottom Line

Overall, SILK Laser Australia gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. And since the stock has fallen 29% over the last year, there might be an opportunity here. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.

On a final note, we've found 4 warning signs for SILK Laser Australia that we think you should be aware of.

While SILK Laser Australia isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.