The Returns At Poujoulat (EPA:ALPJT) Aren't Growing

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? 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. However, after investigating Poujoulat (EPA:ALPJT), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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Understanding 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 Poujoulat is:

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

0.023 = €7.3m ÷ (€346m - €36m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Therefore, Poujoulat has an ROCE of 2.3%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Building industry average of 11%.

View our latest analysis for Poujoulat

In the above chart we have measured Poujoulat's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Poujoulat .

So How Is Poujoulat's ROCE Trending?

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Poujoulat. The company has consistently earned 2.3% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 152% 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.

One more thing to note, even though ROCE has remained relatively flat over the last five years, the reduction in current liabilities to 10% of total assets, is good to see from a business owner's perspective. This can eliminate some of the risks inherent in the operations because the business has less outstanding obligations to their suppliers and or short-term creditors than they did previously.

The Key Takeaway

Long story short, while Poujoulat has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 78% over the last five years. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

On a separate note, we've found 3 warning signs for Poujoulat you'll probably want to know about.

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.