Evaluating Nexion Technologies Limited’s (HKG:8420) Investments In Its Business

Today we'll look at Nexion Technologies Limited (HKG:8420) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires.

First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE.

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

ROCE measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. In general, businesses with a higher ROCE are usually better quality. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.'

How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

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

Or for Nexion Technologies:

0.13 = US$2.1m ÷ (US$18m - US$1.9m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

So, Nexion Technologies has an ROCE of 13%.

Check out our latest analysis for Nexion Technologies

Does Nexion Technologies Have A Good ROCE?

ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. We can see Nexion Technologies's ROCE is around the 12% average reported by the IT industry. Separate from Nexion Technologies's performance relative to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms looks satisfactory, and it may be worth researching in more depth.

We can see that , Nexion Technologies currently has an ROCE of 13%, less than the 52% it reported 3 years ago. Therefore we wonder if the company is facing new headwinds.

When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. If Nexion Technologies is cyclical, it could make sense to check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Nexion Technologies's Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE?

Current liabilities include invoices, such as supplier payments, short-term debt, or a tax bill, that need to be paid within 12 months. The ROCE equation subtracts current liabilities from capital employed, so a company with a lot of current liabilities appears to have less capital employed, and a higher ROCE than otherwise. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

Nexion Technologies has total assets of US$18m and current liabilities of US$1.9m. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 11% of its total assets. Current liabilities are minimal, limiting the impact on ROCE.

What We Can Learn From Nexion Technologies's ROCE

Overall, Nexion Technologies has a decent ROCE and could be worthy of further research. There might be better investments than Nexion Technologies out there, but you will have to work hard to find them . These promising businesses with rapidly growing earnings might be right up your alley.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.