Capital Allocation Trends At Finolex Industries (NSE:FINPIPE) Aren't Ideal

If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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 briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Finolex Industries (NSE:FINPIPE) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

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 Finolex Industries is:

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

0.082 = ₹4.9b ÷ (₹71b - ₹12b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Finolex Industries has an ROCE of 8.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Chemicals industry average of 14%.

View our latest analysis for Finolex Industries

In the above chart we have measured Finolex Industries' 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 Finolex Industries.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Finolex Industries Tell Us?

In terms of Finolex Industries' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 8.2% from 16% five years ago. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line

To conclude, we've found that Finolex Industries is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 126% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Finolex Industries, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Finolex Industries isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.