If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing 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. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at Komputronik's (WSE:KOM) look very promising so lets take a look.
What Is 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Komputronik:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.21 = zł25m ÷ (zł455m - zł336m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).
Therefore, Komputronik has an ROCE of 21%. On its own that's a fantastic return on capital, though it's the same as the Specialty Retail industry average of 21%.
Check out our latest analysis for Komputronik
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 Komputronik's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
The Trend Of ROCE
We're pretty happy with how the ROCE has been trending at Komputronik. The figures show that over the last five years, returns on capital have grown by 133%. The company is now earning zł0.2 per dollar of capital employed. Interestingly, the business may be becoming more efficient because it's applying 49% less capital than it was five years ago. Komputronik may be selling some assets so it's worth investigating if the business has plans for future investments to increase returns further still.
For the record though, there was a noticeable increase in the company's current liabilities over the period, so we would attribute some of the ROCE growth to that. Essentially the business now has suppliers or short-term creditors funding about 74% of its operations, which isn't ideal. Given it's pretty high ratio, we'd remind investors that having current liabilities at those levels can bring about some risks in certain businesses.
In Conclusion...
In summary, it's great to see that Komputronik has been able to turn things around and earn higher returns on lower amounts of capital. And since the stock has fallen 38% over the last five years, there might be an opportunity here. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation.
If you'd like to know about the risks facing Komputronik, we've discovered 3 warning signs that you should be aware of.
Komputronik is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.
Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.
Discover if Komputronik might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.
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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.
About WSE:KOM
Komputronik
Engages in the distribution of computer hardware and software, household appliances, and consumer electronics under the Komputronik brand name in Poland.
Excellent balance sheet and slightly overvalued.
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