Chia Tai Enterprises International's (HKG:3839) Returns On Capital Not Reflecting Well On The Business

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, 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 Chia Tai Enterprises International (HKG:3839) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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 Chia Tai Enterprises International is:

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

0.015 = US$4.5m ÷ (US$363m - US$67m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

Therefore, Chia Tai Enterprises International has an ROCE of 1.5%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Food industry average of 9.4%.

View our latest analysis for Chia Tai Enterprises International

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 Chia Tai Enterprises International's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Chia Tai Enterprises International doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 1.5% from 3.3% five years ago. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

On a side note, Chia Tai Enterprises International's current liabilities have increased over the last five years to 19% of total assets, effectively distorting the ROCE to some degree. If current liabilities hadn't increased as much as they did, the ROCE could actually be even lower. Keep an eye on this ratio, because the business could encounter some new risks if this metric gets too high.

In Conclusion...

While returns have fallen for Chia Tai Enterprises International in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. And there could be an opportunity here if other metrics look good too, because the stock has declined 55% in the last five years. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.

If you want to continue researching Chia Tai Enterprises International, you might be interested to know about the 3 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.

While Chia Tai Enterprises International 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.