Capital Allocation Trends At Andrews Sykes Group (LON:ASY) Aren't Ideal

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? 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. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Having said that, while the ROCE is currently high for Andrews Sykes Group (LON:ASY), we aren't jumping out of our chairs because returns are decreasing.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Andrews Sykes Group:

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

0.26 = UK£20m ÷ (UK£97m - UK£19m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

Thus, Andrews Sykes Group has an ROCE of 26%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 14% earned by companies in a similar industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Andrews Sykes Group

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Andrews Sykes Group, check out these free graphs here.

What Can We Tell From Andrews Sykes Group's ROCE Trend?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Andrews Sykes Group doesn't inspire confidence. While it's comforting that the ROCE is high, five years ago it was 33%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

Our Take On Andrews Sykes Group's ROCE

Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for Andrews Sykes Group. These trends are starting to be recognized by investors since the stock has delivered a 28% 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.

Andrews Sykes Group does have some risks, we noticed 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

Andrews Sykes Group is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.

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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.