The Returns On Capital At Pizu Group Holdings (HKG:8053) Don't Inspire Confidence

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So while Pizu Group Holdings (HKG:8053) has a high ROCE right now, lets see what we can decipher from how returns are changing.

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. The formula for this calculation on Pizu Group Holdings is:

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

0.25 = CN¥415m ÷ (CN¥2.7b - CN¥1.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Therefore, Pizu Group Holdings has an ROCE of 25%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Construction industry average of 7.8%.

See our latest analysis for Pizu Group Holdings

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're interested in investigating Pizu Group Holdings' past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Pizu Group Holdings Tell Us?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Pizu Group Holdings, we didn't gain much confidence. Historically returns on capital were even higher at 43%, but they have dropped over the last five years. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

On a side note, Pizu Group Holdings' current liabilities have increased over the last five years to 38% of total assets, effectively distorting the ROCE to some degree. Without this increase, it's likely that ROCE would be even lower than 25%. Keep an eye on this ratio, because the business could encounter some new risks if this metric gets too high.

The Bottom Line

In summary, Pizu Group Holdings is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Since the stock has gained an impressive 75% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

Pizu Group Holdings does have some risks though, and we've spotted 5 warning signs for Pizu Group Holdings that you might be interested in.

If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets here.

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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