SBM Offshore (AMS:SBMO) Hasn't Managed To Accelerate Its Returns

If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. 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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think SBM Offshore (AMS:SBMO) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

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 SBM Offshore:

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

0.072 = US$724m ÷ (US$13b - US$3.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

Therefore, SBM Offshore has an ROCE of 7.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Energy Services industry average of 5.4%.

Check out our latest analysis for SBM Offshore

Above you can see how the current ROCE for SBM Offshore 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 SBM Offshore here for free.

So How Is SBM Offshore's ROCE Trending?

There hasn't been much to report for SBM Offshore's returns and its level of capital employed because both metrics have been steady for the past five years. It's not uncommon to see this when looking at a mature and stable business that isn't re-investing its earnings because it has likely passed that phase of the business cycle. With that in mind, unless investment picks up again in the future, we wouldn't expect SBM Offshore to be a multi-bagger going forward. That probably explains why SBM Offshore has been paying out 69% of its earnings as dividends to shareholders. These mature businesses typically have reliable earnings and not many places to reinvest them, so the next best option is to put the earnings into shareholders pockets.

The Key Takeaway

We can conclude that in regards to SBM Offshore's returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. Unsurprisingly, the stock has only gained 12% over the last five years, which potentially indicates that investors are accounting for this going forward. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.

On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for SBM Offshore (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of.

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.