S&K Polytec's (KOSDAQ:091340) Returns On Capital Not Reflecting Well On The Business

If you're looking at a mature business that's past the growth phase, what are some of the underlying trends that pop up? More often than not, we'll see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining amount of capital employed. This indicates the company is producing less profit from its investments and its total assets are decreasing. On that note, looking into S&K Polytec (KOSDAQ:091340), we weren't too upbeat about how things were going.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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 S&K Polytec is:

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

0.094 = ₩14b ÷ (₩268b - ₩121b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Therefore, S&K Polytec has an ROCE of 9.4%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 7.3% generated by the Chemicals industry, it's much better.

View our latest analysis for S&K Polytec

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of S&K Polytec.

How Are Returns Trending?

In terms of S&K Polytec's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. Unfortunately the returns on capital have diminished from the 13% that they were earning five years ago. And on the capital employed front, the business is utilizing roughly the same amount of capital as it was back then. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on S&K Polytec becoming one if things continue as they have.

Another thing to note, S&K Polytec has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 45%. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

What We Can Learn From S&K Polytec's ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that S&K Polytec is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. It should come as no surprise then that the stock has fallen 45% over the last five years, so it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. Unless there is a shift to a more positive trajectory in these metrics, we would look elsewhere.

One more thing: We've identified 3 warning signs with S&K Polytec (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding them would certainly be useful.

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.