Be Wary Of GABIA (KOSDAQ:079940) And Its 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? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Having said that, from a first glance at GABIA (KOSDAQ:079940) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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. The formula for this calculation on GABIA is:

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

0.11 = ₩43b ÷ (₩463b - ₩91b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, GABIA has an ROCE of 11%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 8.2% generated by the IT industry.

See our latest analysis for GABIA

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're interested in investigating GABIA's past further, check out this free graph covering GABIA's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at GABIA, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 15%, but since then they've fallen to 11%. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

In Conclusion...

To conclude, we've found that GABIA is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 117% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

Like most companies, GABIA 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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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.