Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So when we looked at Dekpol (WSE:DEK) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Dekpol is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.16 = zł131m ÷ (zł1.5b - zł644m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).
Therefore, Dekpol has an ROCE of 16%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 15% generated by the Construction industry.
Check out our latest analysis for Dekpol
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'd like to look at how Dekpol has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of Dekpol's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
What Does the ROCE Trend For Dekpol Tell Us?
Dekpol is displaying some positive trends. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 16%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 85%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.
On a side note, Dekpol's current liabilities are still rather high at 44% of total assets. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.
The Bottom Line On Dekpol's ROCE
To sum it up, Dekpol has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Dekpol can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.
If you'd like to know about the risks facing Dekpol, we've discovered 1 warning sign that 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.
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About WSE:DEK
Dekpol
Dekpol S.A. primary engages in the general contracting and property development businesses in Poland.
Flawless balance sheet with solid track record.