Thunderbird Entertainment Group (CVE:TBRD) Hasn't Managed To Accelerate Its Returns

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. 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 Thunderbird Entertainment Group (CVE:TBRD) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

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 Thunderbird Entertainment Group:

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

0.091 = CA$8.7m ÷ (CA$202m - CA$107m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

So, Thunderbird Entertainment Group has an ROCE of 9.1%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 8.0% average generated by the Entertainment industry.

See our latest analysis for Thunderbird Entertainment Group

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Thunderbird Entertainment Group 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 Thunderbird Entertainment Group.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Thunderbird Entertainment Group. The company has employed 105% more capital in the last four years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 9.1%. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

On a separate but related note, it's important to know that Thunderbird Entertainment Group has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 53%, which we'd consider pretty high. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

What We Can Learn From Thunderbird Entertainment Group's ROCE

In conclusion, Thunderbird Entertainment Group has been investing more capital into the business, but returns on that capital haven't increased. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 121% gain to shareholders who have held over the last three years. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

One more thing, we've spotted 3 warning signs facing Thunderbird Entertainment Group that you might find interesting.

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.