MAV Beauty Brands (TSE:MAV) Is Reinvesting At Lower Rates Of Return

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount 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. Having said that, from a first glance at MAV Beauty Brands (TSE:MAV) 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for MAV Beauty Brands:

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

0.041 = US$11m ÷ (US$298m - US$19m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, MAV Beauty Brands has an ROCE of 4.1%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Personal Products industry average of 12%.

View our latest analysis for MAV Beauty Brands

Above you can see how the current ROCE for MAV Beauty Brands compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

So How Is MAV Beauty Brands' ROCE Trending?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at MAV Beauty Brands, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last four years, returns on capital have decreased to 4.1% from 7.0% four years ago. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. 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 MAV Beauty Brands' ROCE

In summary, we're somewhat concerned by MAV Beauty Brands' diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. Unsurprisingly then, the stock has dived 91% over the last three years, so investors are recognizing these changes and don't like the company's prospects. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

If you want to continue researching MAV Beauty Brands, you might be interested to know about the 3 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.

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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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.