If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out 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. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Gentili Mosconi (BIT:GM) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Gentili Mosconi is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.097 = €4.1m ÷ (€51m - €8.9m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).
Therefore, Gentili Mosconi has an ROCE of 9.7%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Luxury industry average of 13%.
Check out our latest analysis for Gentili Mosconi
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Gentili Mosconi compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Gentili Mosconi .
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Gentili Mosconi doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last three years, returns on capital have decreased to 9.7% from 15% three years ago. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.
On a related note, Gentili Mosconi has decreased its current liabilities to 17% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.
In Conclusion...
From the above analysis, we find it rather worrisome that returns on capital and sales for Gentili Mosconi have fallen, meanwhile the business is employing more capital than it was three years ago. Long term shareholders who've owned the stock over the last year have experienced a 15% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.
On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for Gentili Mosconi that we think you should be aware of.
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.
About BIT:GM
Gentili Mosconi
Manufactures and sells printed and dyed fabrics in Italy, rest of European Union countries, and internationally.
Excellent balance sheet second-rate dividend payer.