Many Would Be Envious Of Pharmagest Interactive's (EPA:PHA) Excellent Returns On Capital

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. With that in mind, the ROCE of Pharmagest Interactive (EPA:PHA) looks attractive right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

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 Pharmagest Interactive, this is the formula:

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

0.25 = €51m ÷ (€303m - €100m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Therefore, Pharmagest Interactive has an ROCE of 25%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 11% earned by companies in a similar industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Pharmagest Interactive

In the above chart we have measured Pharmagest Interactive's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Pharmagest Interactive here for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

It's hard not to be impressed by Pharmagest Interactive's returns on capital. The company has employed 101% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 25%. With returns that high, it's great that the business can continually reinvest its money at such appealing rates of return. If Pharmagest Interactive can keep this up, we'd be very optimistic about its future.

What We Can Learn From Pharmagest Interactive's ROCE

Pharmagest Interactive has demonstrated its proficiency by generating high returns on increasing amounts of capital employed, which we're thrilled about. And long term investors would be thrilled with the 170% return they've received over the last five years. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

While Pharmagest Interactive looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether PHA is currently trading for a fair price.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high 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.