Returns At Mitsides (CSE:MIT) Are On The Way Up

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Mitsides' (CSE:MIT) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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 Mitsides:

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

0.021 = €362k ÷ (€40m - €23m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).

Thus, Mitsides has an ROCE of 2.1%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Food industry average of 9.7%.

See our latest analysis for Mitsides

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

What Does the ROCE Trend For Mitsides Tell Us?

We're delighted to see that Mitsides is reaping rewards from its investments and has now broken into profitability. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's turned around, earning 2.1% which is no doubt a relief for some early shareholders. At first glance, it seems the business is getting more proficient at generating returns, because over the same period, the amount of capital employed has reduced by 32%. This could potentially mean that the company is selling some of its assets.

On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. Effectively this means that suppliers or short-term creditors are now funding 56% of the business, which is more than it was five years ago. And with current liabilities at those levels, that's pretty high.

What We Can Learn From Mitsides' ROCE

In a nutshell, we're pleased to see that Mitsides has been able to generate higher returns from less capital. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 45% in the last five years. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

On a final note, we've found 3 warning signs for Mitsides that we think you should be aware of.

While Mitsides isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.