Investors Could Be Concerned With Medialink Group's (HKG:2230) Returns On Capital

Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Medialink Group (HKG:2230) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

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

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Medialink Group:

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

0.12 = HK$65m ÷ (HK$868m - HK$316m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Therefore, Medialink Group has an ROCE of 12%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 7.0% generated by the Interactive Media and Services industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Medialink Group

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Medialink Group's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you're interested in investigating Medialink Group's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Can We Tell From Medialink Group's ROCE Trend?

In terms of Medialink Group's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 41% over the last five years. 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 related note, Medialink Group has decreased its current liabilities to 36% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE.

Our Take On Medialink Group's ROCE

Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for Medialink Group. These growth trends haven't led to growth returns though, since the stock has fallen 10% over the last year. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.

If you'd like to know more about Medialink Group, we've spotted 5 warning signs, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

While Medialink Group isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.