Shenzhen Expressway's (HKG:548) Returns On Capital Not Reflecting Well On The Business

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. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating Shenzhen Expressway (HKG:548), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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. The formula for this calculation on Shenzhen Expressway is:

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

0.05 = CN¥2.3b ÷ (CN¥69b - CN¥23b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

Therefore, Shenzhen Expressway has an ROCE of 5.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Infrastructure industry average of 5.5%.

See our latest analysis for Shenzhen Expressway

In the above chart we have measured Shenzhen Expressway's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Shenzhen Expressway.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Shenzhen Expressway doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 6.4% over the last five years. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se.

While on the subject, we noticed that the ratio of current liabilities to total assets has risen to 34%, which has impacted the ROCE. Without this increase, it's likely that ROCE would be even lower than 5.0%. While the ratio isn't currently too high, it's worth keeping an eye on this because if it gets particularly high, the business could then face some new elements of risk.

What We Can Learn From Shenzhen Expressway's ROCE

We're a bit apprehensive about Shenzhen Expressway because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 39% in the last five years. Either way, we aren't huge fans of the current trends and so with that we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

Shenzhen Expressway does have some risks, we noticed 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

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. 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.