Returns on Capital Paint A Bright Future For Gatekeeper Systems (CVE:GSI)

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? 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. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at Gatekeeper Systems' (CVE:GSI) look very promising so lets take a look.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Gatekeeper Systems:

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

0.29 = CA$4.5m ÷ (CA$19m - CA$3.2m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to May 2023).

So, Gatekeeper Systems has an ROCE of 29%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 15% earned by companies in a similar industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Gatekeeper Systems

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 Gatekeeper Systems has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Can We Tell From Gatekeeper Systems' ROCE Trend?

Gatekeeper Systems has recently broken into profitability so their prior investments seem to be paying off. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making five years ago but is is now generating 29% on its capital. And unsurprisingly, like most companies trying to break into the black, Gatekeeper Systems is utilizing 112% more capital than it was five years ago. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

The Bottom Line On Gatekeeper Systems' ROCE

Long story short, we're delighted to see that Gatekeeper Systems' reinvestment activities have paid off and the company is now profitable. Since the stock has returned a staggering 271% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

Gatekeeper Systems does have some risks, we noticed 2 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about.

If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets here.

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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.