Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings (HKG:631) Is Experiencing Growth In Returns On Capital

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So when we looked at Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings (HKG:631) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings:

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

0.12 = CN¥1.6b ÷ (CN¥25b - CN¥11b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

Thus, Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Machinery industry average of 6.9% it's much better.

Check out our latest analysis for Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings 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 Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings here for free.

So How Is Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings' ROCE Trending?

Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 12%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 70% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

For the record though, there was a noticeable increase in the company's current liabilities over the period, so we would attribute some of the ROCE growth to that. Essentially the business now has suppliers or short-term creditors funding about 43% of its operations, which isn't ideal. And with current liabilities at those levels, that's pretty high.

Our Take On Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings' ROCE

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

While Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether 631 is currently trading for a fair price.

While Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings 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.