Will Spectris (LON:SXS) Multiply In Value Going Forward?

If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Spectris (LON:SXS) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Spectris:

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

0.05 = UK£76m ÷ (UK£2.0b - UK£451m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).

Therefore, Spectris has an ROCE of 5.0%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Electronic industry average of 8.4%.

View our latest analysis for Spectris

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Spectris 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 Spectris here for free.

What Can We Tell From Spectris' ROCE Trend?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Spectris doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 15%, but since then they've fallen to 5.0%. However it looks like Spectris might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line On Spectris' ROCE

In summary, Spectris is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 69% over the last five years. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

If you want to continue researching Spectris, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.

While Spectris 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. 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.
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