Returns At Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad (KLSE:LEESK) Appear To Be Weighed Down

To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. So, when we ran our eye over Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad's (KLSE:LEESK) trend of ROCE, we liked what we saw.

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 Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad:

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

0.12 = RM8.9m ÷ (RM101m - RM29m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Therefore, Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad has an ROCE of 12%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 11% generated by the Consumer Durables industry.

See our latest analysis for Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad

In the above chart we have measured Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad here for free.

What Can We Tell From Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad's ROCE Trend?

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 12% and the business has deployed 43% more capital into its operations. 12% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad has consistently earned this amount. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

On another note, while the change in ROCE trend might not scream for attention, it's interesting that the current liabilities have actually gone up over the last five years. This is intriguing because if current liabilities hadn't increased to 29% of total assets, this reported ROCE would probably be less than12% because total capital employed would be higher.The 12% ROCE could be even lower if current liabilities weren't 29% of total assets, because the the formula would show a larger base of total capital employed. So while current liabilities isn't high right now, keep an eye out in case it increases further, because this can introduce some elements of risk.

The Bottom Line On Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad's ROCE

The main thing to remember is that Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. And long term investors would be thrilled with the 256% return they've received over the last five years. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

While Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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.