If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Frasers Group's (LON:FRAS) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Frasers Group is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.15 = UK£520m ÷ (UK£4.5b - UK£965m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to April 2024).
So, Frasers Group has an ROCE of 15%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Specialty Retail industry average of 12% it's much better.
Check out our latest analysis for Frasers Group
In the above chart we have measured Frasers Group'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 Frasers Group for free.
So How Is Frasers Group's ROCE Trending?
Frasers Group is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 15%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 37%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Frasers Group thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.
What We Can Learn From Frasers Group's ROCE
All in all, it's terrific to see that Frasers Group is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And a remarkable 121% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.
Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation for FRAS that compares the share price and estimated value.
While Frasers Group 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.
About LSE:FRAS
Frasers Group
Frasers Group Plc, together with its subsidiaries, retails sports and leisure clothing, footwear, homeware, furniture, sports equipment and bicycles, accessories, and apparel through department stores, shops, and online in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Asia, Oceania, and internationally.
Very undervalued with flawless balance sheet.