Anhui Conch Cement (HKG:914) Is Investing Its Capital With Increasing Efficiency

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of Anhui Conch Cement (HKG:914) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Anhui Conch Cement:

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

0.21 = CN¥39b ÷ (CN¥212b - CN¥24b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, Anhui Conch Cement has an ROCE of 21%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Basic Materials industry average of 13%.

See our latest analysis for Anhui Conch Cement

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Anhui Conch Cement compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

So How Is Anhui Conch Cement's ROCE Trending?

Anhui Conch Cement is displaying some positive trends. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 21%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 103%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

The Bottom Line On Anhui Conch Cement's ROCE

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Anhui Conch Cement has. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 94% return over the last five years. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

On a final note, we found 3 warning signs for Anhui Conch Cement (1 is potentially serious) you should be aware of.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning 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.