JDE Peet's (AMS:JDEP) Is Finding It Tricky To Allocate Its Capital

If you're looking at a mature business that's past the growth phase, what are some of the underlying trends that pop up? A business that's potentially in decline often shows two trends, a return on capital employed (ROCE) that's declining, and a base of capital employed that's also declining. Basically the company is earning less on its investments and it is also reducing its total assets. So after glancing at the trends within JDE Peet's (AMS:JDEP), we weren't too hopeful.

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. The formula for this calculation on JDE Peet's is:

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

0.038 = €685m ÷ (€23b - €5.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, JDE Peet's has an ROCE of 3.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Food industry average of 9.4%.

Check out our latest analysis for JDE Peet's

Above you can see how the current ROCE for JDE Peet's 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 JDE Peet's for free.

What Can We Tell From JDE Peet's' ROCE Trend?

There is reason to be cautious about JDE Peet's, given the returns are trending downwards. To be more specific, the ROCE was 5.0% five years ago, but since then it has dropped noticeably. And on the capital employed front, the business is utilizing roughly the same amount of capital as it was back then. This combination can be indicative of a mature business that still has areas to deploy capital, but the returns received aren't as high due potentially to new competition or smaller margins. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on JDE Peet's becoming one if things continue as they have.

What We Can Learn From JDE Peet's' ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that JDE Peet's is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Investors haven't taken kindly to these developments, since the stock has declined 29% from where it was three years ago. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for JDE Peet's that we think you should be aware of.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high 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.