Be Wary Of Moda-InnoChips (KOSDAQ:080420) And Its Returns On Capital

March 25, 2021

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount 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. Although, when we looked at Moda-InnoChips (KOSDAQ:080420), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

Understanding 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Moda-InnoChips:

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

0.036 = ₩23b ÷ (₩891b - ₩259b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).

So, Moda-InnoChips has an ROCE of 3.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Electronic industry average of 5.6%.

See our latest analysis for Moda-InnoChips

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

The Trend Of ROCE

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Moda-InnoChips doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 3.6% from 9.9% five years ago. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

On a side note, Moda-InnoChips' current liabilities have increased over the last five years to 29% of total assets, effectively distorting the ROCE to some degree. If current liabilities hadn't increased as much as they did, the ROCE could actually be even lower. Keep an eye on this ratio, because the business could encounter some new risks if this metric gets too high.

Our Take On Moda-InnoChips' ROCE

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that Moda-InnoChips is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. And there could be an opportunity here if other metrics look good too, because the stock has declined 25% in the last three years. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.

If you want to know some of the risks facing Moda-InnoChips we've found 3 warning signs (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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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