Heineken (AMS:HEIA) Has Some Way To Go To Become A Multi-Bagger

If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Having said that, from a first glance at Heineken (AMS:HEIA) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Heineken is:

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

0.087 = €3.5b ÷ (€57b - €17b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, Heineken has an ROCE of 8.7%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 9.7% average generated by the Beverage industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Heineken

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Heineken compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Can We Tell From Heineken's ROCE Trend?

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Heineken. The company has employed 35% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 8.7%. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

The Key Takeaway

As we've seen above, Heineken's returns on capital haven't increased but it is reinvesting in the business. And with the stock having returned a mere 13% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.

One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Heineken (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant) .

While Heineken 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.