Returns On Capital Are Showing Encouraging Signs At Willy-Food Investments (TLV:WLFD)

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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So when we looked at Willy-Food Investments (TLV:WLFD) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding 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. To calculate this metric for Willy-Food Investments, this is the formula:

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

0.079 = ₪48m ÷ (₪661m - ₪50m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

So, Willy-Food Investments has an ROCE of 7.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Consumer Retailing industry average of 14%.

View our latest analysis for Willy-Food Investments

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

How Are Returns Trending?

While in absolute terms it isn't a high ROCE, it's promising to see that it has been moving in the right direction. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 7.9%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 49%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Willy-Food Investments thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

The Bottom Line On Willy-Food Investments' 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 Willy-Food Investments has. And a remarkable 194% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

If you'd like to know more about Willy-Food Investments, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them is a bit concerning.

While Willy-Food Investments 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.