The Returns On Capital At JMDC (TSE:4483) Don't Inspire Confidence

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. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. Having said that, from a first glance at JMDC (TSE:4483) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for JMDC:

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

0.063 = JP¥5.6b ÷ (JP¥121b - JP¥33b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

So, JMDC has an ROCE of 6.3%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Healthcare Services industry average of 17%.

View our latest analysis for JMDC

In the above chart we have measured JMDC's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering JMDC for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For JMDC Tell Us?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at JMDC, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 6.3% from 11% five years ago. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

In Conclusion...

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that JMDC is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. These growth trends haven't led to growth returns though, since the stock has fallen 44% over the last three years. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.

On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for JMDC that we think you should be aware of.

While JMDC may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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.