Regenbogen's (FRA:RGB) Returns Have Hit A Wall

Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Although, when we looked at Regenbogen (FRA:RGB), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. The formula for this calculation on Regenbogen is:

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

0.049 = €1.8m ÷ (€40m - €2.9m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

So, Regenbogen has an ROCE of 4.9%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 4.9%, it's still a low return by itself.

Check out our latest analysis for Regenbogen

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're interested in investigating Regenbogen's past further, check out this free graph covering Regenbogen's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of Regenbogen's historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. The company has consistently earned 4.9% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 63% in that time. 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 Key Takeaway

Long story short, while Regenbogen 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 34% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. On the whole, we aren't too inspired by the underlying trends and we think there may be better chances of finding a multi-bagger elsewhere.

One final note, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Regenbogen (including 1 which is a bit concerning) .

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.