Mainfreight's (NZSE:MFT) Returns On Capital Are Heading Higher

Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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. So when we looked at Mainfreight (NZSE:MFT) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

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. To calculate this metric for Mainfreight, this is the formula:

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

0.19 = NZ$363m ÷ (NZ$2.6b - NZ$691m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, Mainfreight has an ROCE of 19%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Logistics industry average of 7.8% it's much better.

View our latest analysis for Mainfreight

In the above chart we have measured Mainfreight's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Mainfreight.

How Are Returns Trending?

The trends we've noticed at Mainfreight are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 19%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 102%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

In Conclusion...

All in all, it's terrific to see that Mainfreight is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And a remarkable 372% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Mainfreight and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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.

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.

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