Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) Is Reinvesting At Lower Rates Of Return

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

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. To calculate this metric for Regis Resources, this is the formula:

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

0.10 = AU$219m ÷ (AU$2.3b - AU$182m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Therefore, Regis Resources has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Metals and Mining industry average of 8.8%.

See our latest analysis for Regis Resources

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

What Does the ROCE Trend For Regis Resources Tell Us?

In terms of Regis Resources' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 29% over the last five years. However it looks like Regis Resources might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Key Takeaway

To conclude, we've found that Regis Resources is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Since the stock has declined 34% over the last five years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think Regis Resources has the makings of a multi-bagger.

One more thing, we've spotted 4 warning signs facing Regis Resources that you might find interesting.

While Regis Resources may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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