Otec (TSE:1736) Hasn't Managed To Accelerate Its Returns

To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of Otec (TSE:1736) looks decent, right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Otec:

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

0.13 = JP¥2.7b ÷ (JP¥31b - JP¥9.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Otec has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Trade Distributors industry average of 8.0% it's much better.

Check out our latest analysis for Otec

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Otec's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you'd like to look at how Otec has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of Otec's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Otec Tell Us?

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has consistently earned 13% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 44% in that time. 13% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Otec has consistently earned this amount. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

In Conclusion...

In the end, Otec has proven its ability to adequately reinvest capital at good rates of return. And since the stock has risen strongly over the last five years, it appears the market might expect this trend to continue. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we still believe the stock deserves further research.

If you want to know some of the risks facing Otec we've found 3 warning signs (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.