Stock Analysis
- Poland
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- Construction
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- WSE:TOR
Should We Be Excited About The Trends Of Returns At Torpol (WSE:TOR)?
There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Although, when we looked at Torpol (WSE:TOR), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
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 Torpol is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.14 = zł48m ÷ (zł1.1b - zł757m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).
So, Torpol has an ROCE of 14%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Construction industry average of 12%.
Check out our latest analysis for Torpol
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Torpol compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Torpol.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
Over the past five years, Torpol's ROCE and capital employed have both remained mostly flat. This tells us the company isn't reinvesting in itself, so it's plausible that it's past the growth phase. So don't be surprised if Torpol doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time. That probably explains why Torpol has been paying out 105% of its earnings as dividends to shareholders. Most shareholders probably know this and own the stock for its dividend.
On a side note, Torpol's current liabilities are still rather high at 69% of total assets. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, Torpol has been trudging along with the same returns from the same amount of capital over the last five years. Since the stock has gained an impressive 42% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.
If you'd like to know more about Torpol, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them is potentially serious.
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