Kidztech Holdings (HKG:6918) Is Reinvesting At Lower Rates Of Return

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. 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. However, after investigating Kidztech Holdings (HKG:6918), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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. The formula for this calculation on Kidztech Holdings is:

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

0.097 = CN¥42m ÷ (CN¥671m - CN¥236m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Thus, Kidztech Holdings has an ROCE of 9.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Leisure industry average of 6.1%.

Check out our latest analysis for Kidztech 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 want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Kidztech Holdings, check out these free graphs here.

What Can We Tell From Kidztech Holdings' ROCE Trend?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Kidztech Holdings doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 24%, but since then they've fallen to 9.7%. 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.

The Bottom Line On Kidztech Holdings' ROCE

To conclude, we've found that Kidztech Holdings is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Unsurprisingly then, the total return to shareholders over the last year has been flat. On the whole, we aren't too inspired by the underlying trends and we think there may be better chances of finding a multi-bagger elsewhere.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Kidztech Holdings (of which 1 is concerning!) that you should know about.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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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.