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. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Monnalisa's (BIT:MNL) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Monnalisa:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.026 = €609k ÷ (€45m - €22m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2025).
Thus, Monnalisa has an ROCE of 2.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Luxury industry average of 12%.
View our latest analysis for Monnalisa
In the above chart we have measured Monnalisa's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Monnalisa .
The Trend Of ROCE
We're delighted to see that Monnalisa is reaping rewards from its investments and has now broken into profitability. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's turned around, earning 2.6% which is no doubt a relief for some early shareholders. Additionally, the business is utilizing 44% less capital than it was five years ago, and taken at face value, that can mean the company needs less funds at work to get a return. This could potentially mean that the company is selling some of its assets.
On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. Effectively this means that suppliers or short-term creditors are now funding 48% of the business, which is more than it was five years ago. Given it's pretty high ratio, we'd remind investors that having current liabilities at those levels can bring about some risks in certain businesses.
Our Take On Monnalisa's ROCE
In the end, Monnalisa has proven it's capital allocation skills are good with those higher returns from less amount of capital. And since the stock has dived 75% over the last five years, there may be other factors affecting the company's prospects. Still, it's worth doing some further research to see if the trends will continue into the future.
Monnalisa does have some risks, we noticed 3 warning signs (and 2 which are a bit concerning) we think you should know about.
While Monnalisa 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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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.
About BIT:MNL
Monnalisa
Designs, produces, and distributes childrenswear in Italy and internationally.
Undervalued with mediocre balance sheet.
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