Will Openbase (KOSDAQ:049480) Multiply In Value Going Forward?

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount 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. Although, when we looked at Openbase (KOSDAQ:049480), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Openbase:

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

0.0098 = ₩710m ÷ (₩110b - ₩38b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

Therefore, Openbase has an ROCE of 1.0%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the IT industry average of 11%.

See our latest analysis for Openbase

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'd like to look at how Openbase has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Are Returns Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Openbase doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 8.0%, but since then they've fallen to 1.0%. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, we're somewhat concerned by Openbase's diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 21% in the last five years. Regardless, we don't like the trends as they are and if they persist, we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for Openbase (1 doesn't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.

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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