Should You Be Impressed By Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman)'s (HKG:1583) Returns on Capital?

If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman) (HKG:1583) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman) is:

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

0.019 = CN¥26m ÷ (CN¥1.8b - CN¥488m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).

Therefore, Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman) has an ROCE of 1.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Food industry average of 13%.

View our latest analysis for Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman)

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 Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman) has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

The Trend Of ROCE

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman) doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 12%, but since then they've fallen to 1.9%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

While on the subject, we noticed that the ratio of current liabilities to total assets has risen to 26%, which has impacted the ROCE. Without this increase, it's likely that ROCE would be even lower than 1.9%. Keep an eye on this ratio, because the business could encounter some new risks if this metric gets too high.

Our Take On Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman)'s ROCE

While returns have fallen for Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman) in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. However, total returns to shareholders over the last three years have been flat, which could indicate these growth trends potentially aren't accounted for yet by investors. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Qinqin Foodstuffs Group (Cayman), we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

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