Returns At China Shengmu Organic Milk (HKG:1432) Appear To Be Weighed Down

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? 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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. That's why when we briefly looked at China Shengmu Organic Milk's (HKG:1432) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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 China Shengmu Organic Milk:

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

0.14 = CN¥794m ÷ (CN¥8.5b - CN¥3.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, China Shengmu Organic Milk has an ROCE of 14%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Food industry average of 8.8% it's much better.

See our latest analysis for China Shengmu Organic Milk

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'd like to look at how China Shengmu Organic Milk has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of China Shengmu Organic Milk's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Does the ROCE Trend For China Shengmu Organic Milk Tell Us?

While the returns on capital are good, they haven't moved much. The company has consistently earned 14% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 84% in that time. Since 14% is a moderate ROCE though, it's good to see a business can continue to reinvest at these decent rates of return. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.

One more thing to note, even though ROCE has remained relatively flat over the last five years, the reduction in current liabilities to 35% of total assets, is good to see from a business owner's perspective. Effectively suppliers now fund less of the business, which can lower some elements of risk.

The Key Takeaway

In the end, China Shengmu Organic Milk has proven its ability to adequately reinvest capital at good rates of return. Yet over the last five years the stock has declined 38%, so the decline might provide an opening. For that reason, savvy investors might want to look further into this company in case it's a prime investment.

On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for China Shengmu Organic Milk that we think you should be aware of.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com