Returns On Capital At ASM Pacific Technology (HKG:522) Have Hit The Brakes

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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. That's why when we briefly looked at ASM Pacific Technology's (HKG:522) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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 ASM Pacific Technology:

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

0.10 = HK$1.8b ÷ (HK$23b - HK$5.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2021).

Therefore, ASM Pacific Technology has an ROCE of 10%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 8.5% generated by the Semiconductor industry.

See our latest analysis for ASM Pacific Technology

In the above chart we have measured ASM Pacific Technology's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

The trend of ROCE doesn't stand out much, but returns on a whole are decent. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 10% and the business has deployed 66% more capital into its operations. 10% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that ASM Pacific Technology has consistently earned this amount. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

The Bottom Line

The main thing to remember is that ASM Pacific Technology has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. And the stock has followed suit returning a meaningful 90% to shareholders over the last five years. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

Like most companies, ASM Pacific Technology does come with some risks, and we've found 3 warning signs that you should be aware of.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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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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