When researching a stock for investment, what can tell us that the company is in decline? Typically, we'll see the trend of both return on capital employed (ROCE) declining and this usually coincides with a decreasing amount of capital employed. Basically the company is earning less on its investments and it is also reducing its total assets. Having said that, after a brief look, APB Resources Berhad (KLSE:APB) we aren't filled with optimism, but let's investigate further.
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for APB Resources Berhad:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.00079 = RM126k ÷ (RM173m - RM15m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).
Thus, APB Resources Berhad has an ROCE of 0.08%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Machinery industry average of 11%.
See our latest analysis for APB Resources Berhad
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 APB Resources Berhad's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
The Trend Of ROCE
There is reason to be cautious about APB Resources Berhad, given the returns are trending downwards. Unfortunately the returns on capital have diminished from the 7.3% that they were earning five years ago. Meanwhile, capital employed in the business has stayed roughly the flat over the period. 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 APB Resources Berhad becoming one if things continue as they have.
Our Take On APB Resources Berhad's ROCE
In the end, the trend of lower returns on the same amount of capital isn't typically an indication that we're looking at a growth stock. Long term shareholders who've owned the stock over the last five years have experienced a 61% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. Unless these trends revert to a more positive trajectory, we would look elsewhere.
If you'd like to know about the risks facing APB Resources Berhad, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.
While APB Resources Berhad isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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