Returns On Capital - An Important Metric For Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media (HKG:811)

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. So on that note, Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media (HKG:811) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media is:

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

0.079 = CN¥788m ÷ (CN¥17b - CN¥6.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

Thus, Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media has an ROCE of 7.9%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 6.1% generated by the Retail Distributors industry, it's much better.

Check out our latest analysis for Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media, check out these free graphs here.

How Are Returns Trending?

Even though ROCE is still low in absolute terms, it's good to see it's heading in the right direction. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 7.9%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 35% more capital is being employed now too. 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.

Another thing to note, Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 41%. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

Our Take On Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media'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 Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media has. Considering the stock has delivered 1.7% to its stockholders over the last five years, it may be fair to think that investors aren't fully aware of the promising trends yet. So exploring more about this stock could uncover a good opportunity, if the valuation and other metrics stack up.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media 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. 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.
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