Ackermans & Van Haaren (EBR:ACKB) Will Be Hoping To Turn Its Returns On Capital Around

If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. 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. However, after investigating Ackermans & Van Haaren (EBR:ACKB), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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. The formula for this calculation on Ackermans & Van Haaren is:

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

0.032 = €253m ÷ (€16b - €8.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

So, Ackermans & Van Haaren has an ROCE of 3.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Construction industry average of 9.5%.

View our latest analysis for Ackermans & Van Haaren

In the above chart we have measured Ackermans & Van Haaren's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Ackermans & Van Haaren here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Ackermans & Van Haaren, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 4.9%, but since then they've fallen to 3.2%. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

Another thing to note, Ackermans & Van Haaren has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 52%. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

What We Can Learn From Ackermans & Van Haaren's ROCE

In summary, Ackermans & Van Haaren is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And with the stock having returned a mere 34% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.

While Ackermans & Van Haaren doesn't shine too bright in this respect, it's still worth seeing if the company is trading at attractive prices. You can find that out with our FREE intrinsic value estimation on our platform.

While Ackermans & Van Haaren 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.