Investors Met With Slowing Returns on Capital At Caldwell Partners International (TSE:CWL)

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Having said that, from a first glance at Caldwell Partners International (TSE:CWL) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

What is 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 Caldwell Partners International, this is the formula:

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

0.065 = CA$2.3m ÷ (CA$57m - CA$22m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to February 2021).

So, Caldwell Partners International has an ROCE of 6.5%. On its own that's a low return on capital but it's in line with the industry's average returns of 6.5%.

Check out our latest analysis for Caldwell Partners International

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how Caldwell Partners International has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

The Trend Of ROCE

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Caldwell Partners International. The company has employed 143% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 6.5%. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

On a side note, Caldwell Partners International has done well to reduce current liabilities to 39% of total assets over the last five years. Effectively suppliers now fund less of the business, which can lower some elements of risk.

In Conclusion...

In summary, Caldwell Partners International has simply been reinvesting capital and generating the same low rate of return as before. Since the stock has gained an impressive 83% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Caldwell Partners International, we've discovered 4 warning signs that you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

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