Some Investors May Be Worried About Gamuda Berhad's (KLSE:GAMUDA) Returns On Capital

What underlying fundamental trends can indicate that a company might be 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. Ultimately this means that the company is earning less per dollar invested and on top of that, it's shrinking its base of capital employed. So after glancing at the trends within Gamuda Berhad (KLSE:GAMUDA), we weren't too hopeful.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

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. To calculate this metric for Gamuda Berhad, this is the formula:

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

0.035 = RM507m ÷ (RM19b - RM4.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2022).

Thus, Gamuda Berhad has an ROCE of 3.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Construction industry average of 5.3%.

See our latest analysis for Gamuda Berhad

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Gamuda Berhad compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Gamuda Berhad here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

In terms of Gamuda Berhad's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. About five years ago, returns on capital were 4.5%, however they're now substantially lower than that as we saw above. And on the capital employed front, the business is utilizing roughly the same amount of capital as it was back then. 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 Gamuda Berhad becoming one if things continue as they have.

On a side note, Gamuda Berhad's current liabilities have increased over the last five years to 22% 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.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, it's unfortunate that Gamuda Berhad is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Investors haven't taken kindly to these developments, since the stock has declined 30% from where it was five years ago. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Gamuda Berhad that you might find interesting.

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. 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.