Publicis Groupe (EPA:PUB) Is Experiencing Growth In Returns On Capital

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. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Publicis Groupe's (EPA:PUB) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

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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 Publicis Groupe is:

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

0.15 = €2.4b ÷ (€40b - €24b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

Therefore, Publicis Groupe has an ROCE of 15%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 12% generated by the Media industry.

See our latest analysis for Publicis Groupe

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Publicis Groupe compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Publicis Groupe .

What Can We Tell From Publicis Groupe's ROCE Trend?

Publicis Groupe is showing promise given that its ROCE is trending up and to the right. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 38% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

On a separate but related note, it's important to know that Publicis Groupe has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 61%, which we'd consider pretty high. 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. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

In Conclusion...

In summary, we're delighted to see that Publicis Groupe has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And a remarkable 364% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Publicis Groupe you'll probably want to know about.

While Publicis Groupe may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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.