Returns On Capital At EIH (NSE:EIHOTEL) Have Stalled

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Although, when we looked at EIH (NSE:EIHOTEL), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. The formula for this calculation on EIH is:

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

0.062 = ₹2.3b ÷ (₹42b - ₹5.5b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

Thus, EIH has an ROCE of 6.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Hospitality industry average of 9.9%.

Check out our latest analysis for EIH

Above you can see how the current ROCE for EIH compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for EIH.

What Does the ROCE Trend For EIH Tell Us?

Over the past five years, EIH's ROCE and capital employed have both remained mostly flat. Businesses with these traits tend to be mature and steady operations because they're past the growth phase. So don't be surprised if EIH doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time.

The Key Takeaway

In a nutshell, EIH has been trudging along with the same returns from the same amount of capital over the last five years. And with the stock having returned a mere 20% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.

If you're still interested in EIH it's worth checking out our FREE intrinsic value approximation to see if it's trading at an attractive price in other respects.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.