TietoEVRY Oyj (HEL:TIETO) Might Be Having Difficulty Using Its Capital Effectively

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. In light of that, when we looked at TietoEVRY Oyj (HEL:TIETO) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

Understanding 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. The formula for this calculation on TietoEVRY Oyj is:

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

0.12 = €325m ÷ (€3.5b - €879m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

So, TietoEVRY Oyj has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the IT industry average of 13%.

View our latest analysis for TietoEVRY Oyj

In the above chart we have measured TietoEVRY Oyj'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

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at TietoEVRY Oyj doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 30% over the last five years. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

On a side note, TietoEVRY Oyj has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 25% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.

Our Take On TietoEVRY Oyj's ROCE

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that TietoEVRY Oyj is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. These trends are starting to be recognized by investors since the stock has delivered a 29% gain to shareholders who've held over the last five years. So this stock may still be an appealing investment opportunity, if other fundamentals prove to be sound.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing TietoEVRY Oyj, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

While TietoEVRY Oyj 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.
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