We Like These Underlying Trends At GS Engineering & Construction (KRX:006360)

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in GS Engineering & Construction's (KRX:006360) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

What is 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 GS Engineering & Construction is:

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

0.079 = ₩628b ÷ (₩14t - ₩5.7t) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

So, GS Engineering & Construction has an ROCE of 7.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Construction industry average of 9.0%.

View our latest analysis for GS Engineering & Construction

Above you can see how the current ROCE for GS Engineering & Construction 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 report on analyst forecasts for the company.

How Are Returns Trending?

The fact that GS Engineering & Construction is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's earning 7.9% which is a sight for sore eyes. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 30% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 41%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. This tells us that GS Engineering & Construction has grown its returns without a reliance on increasing their current liabilities, which we're very happy with. However, current liabilities are still at a pretty high level, so just be aware that this can bring with it some risks.

The Bottom Line

In summary, it's great to see that GS Engineering & Construction has managed to break into profitability and is continuing to reinvest in its business. Since the stock has returned a solid 50% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

One more thing to note, we've identified 4 warning signs with GS Engineering & Construction and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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. 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.
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