We Like These Underlying Return On Capital Trends At Manaksia Steels (NSE:MANAKSTEEL)

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? 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. 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 Manaksia Steels (NSE:MANAKSTEEL) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Manaksia Steels is:

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

0.16 = ₹423m ÷ (₹3.5b - ₹781m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

Thus, Manaksia Steels has an ROCE of 16%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 17% generated by the Metals and Mining industry.

View our latest analysis for Manaksia Steels

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

What Does the ROCE Trend For Manaksia Steels Tell Us?

The trends we've noticed at Manaksia Steels are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 16%. 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 62%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 22%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books.

The Bottom Line On Manaksia Steels' 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 Manaksia Steels has. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 64% return over the last five years. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

On a separate note, we've found 2 warning signs for Manaksia Steels you'll probably want to 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.