Returns On Capital At Falabella (SNSE:FALABELLA) Have Hit The Brakes

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base 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 Falabella (SNSE:FALABELLA) 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 Falabella:

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

0.069 = CL$1.1t ÷ (CL$20t - CL$3.6t) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, Falabella has an ROCE of 6.9%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 6.4% average generated by the Multiline Retail industry.

View our latest analysis for Falabella

In the above chart we have measured Falabella's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

In terms of Falabella's historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. The company has employed 52% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 6.9%. 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.

The Bottom Line

Long story short, while Falabella has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 47% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

Falabella does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Falabella that you might be interested in.

While Falabella may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list 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.