Slowing Rates Of Return At CGI (TSE:GIB.A) Leave Little Room For Excitement

If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of CGI (TSE:GIB.A) looks decent, right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

What is 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 CGI:

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

0.18 = CA$1.9b ÷ (CA$15b - CA$4.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Therefore, CGI has an ROCE of 18%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the IT industry average of 12% it's much better.

See our latest analysis for CGI

In the above chart we have measured CGI'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 CGI here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

While the returns on capital are good, they haven't moved much. The company has consistently earned 18% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 24% in that time. 18% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that CGI has consistently earned this amount. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.

The Bottom Line On CGI's ROCE

The main thing to remember is that CGI has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. And since the stock has risen strongly over the last five years, it appears the market might expect this trend to continue. So even though the stock might be more "expensive" than it was before, we think the strong fundamentals warrant this stock for further research.

CGI does have some risks though, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for CGI that you might be interested in.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high 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.
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