We Like These Underlying Return On Capital Trends At Dongfeng Motor Group (HKG:489)

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Dongfeng Motor Group (HKG:489) so let's look a bit deeper.

Understanding 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Dongfeng Motor Group:

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

0.00026 = CN¥49m ÷ (CN¥325b - CN¥142b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

So, Dongfeng Motor Group has an ROCE of 0.03%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Auto industry average of 5.9%.

See our latest analysis for Dongfeng Motor Group

In the above chart we have measured Dongfeng Motor 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 Dongfeng Motor Group here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

The fact that Dongfeng Motor Group is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's earning 0.03% which is a sight for sore eyes. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 70% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

Another thing to note, Dongfeng Motor Group has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 44%. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

The Bottom Line

To the delight of most shareholders, Dongfeng Motor Group has now broken into profitability. Considering the stock has delivered 12% to its stockholders over the last five years, it may be fair to think that investors aren't fully aware of the promising trends yet. So with that in mind, we think the stock deserves further research.

One more thing: We've identified 2 warning signs with Dongfeng Motor Group (at least 1 which is potentially serious) , and understanding them would certainly be useful.

While Dongfeng Motor Group isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.

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