Burger Fuel Group (NZSE:BFG) Is Looking To Continue Growing Its Returns On Capital

If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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. So on that note, Burger Fuel Group (NZSE:BFG) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Burger Fuel Group:

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

0.039 = NZ$1.5m ÷ (NZ$43m - NZ$3.8m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

So, Burger Fuel Group has an ROCE of 3.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Hospitality industry average of 6.9%.

See our latest analysis for Burger Fuel Group

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you're interested in investigating Burger Fuel Group's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Can We Tell From Burger Fuel Group's ROCE Trend?

The fact that Burger Fuel Group is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making five years ago but is is now generating 3.9% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 207% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

The Bottom Line

Overall, Burger Fuel Group gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. And since the stock has dived 79% over the last five years, there may be other factors affecting the company's prospects. In any case, we believe the economic trends of this company are positive and looking into the stock further could prove rewarding.

One more thing: We've identified 4 warning signs with Burger Fuel Group (at least 1 which is significant) , and understanding these would certainly be useful.

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.