Roche Bobois' (EPA:RBO) Returns On Capital Not Reflecting Well On The Business

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount 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. However, after investigating Roche Bobois (EPA:RBO), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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. To calculate this metric for Roche Bobois, this is the formula:

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

0.087 = €16m ÷ (€356m - €172m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).

So, Roche Bobois has an ROCE of 8.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Consumer Durables industry average of 11%.

See our latest analysis for Roche Bobois

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Roche Bobois compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Roche Bobois here for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Roche Bobois Tell Us?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Roche Bobois doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 8.7% from 23% five years ago. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

On a side note, Roche Bobois' current liabilities are still rather high at 48% of total assets. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

Our Take On Roche Bobois' ROCE

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Roche Bobois' reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Since the stock has gained an impressive 24% over the last three years, investors must think there's better things to come. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

On a separate note, we've found 2 warning signs for Roche Bobois you'll probably want to know about.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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