What We Make Of AhnLab's (KOSDAQ:053800) Returns On Capital

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? 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, we've noticed some promising trends at AhnLab (KOSDAQ:053800) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for AhnLab:

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

0.088 = ₩19b ÷ (₩273b - ₩55b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

Thus, AhnLab has an ROCE of 8.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Software industry average of 7.2%.

View our latest analysis for AhnLab

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 AhnLab has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

So How Is AhnLab's ROCE Trending?

Even though ROCE is still low in absolute terms, it's good to see it's heading in the right direction. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 8.8%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 39%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

The Key Takeaway

All in all, it's terrific to see that AhnLab is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And with a respectable 68% awarded to those who held the stock over the last five years, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

Like most companies, AhnLab does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that 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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