Is Pkp Cargo S.A. (WSE:PKP) Struggling With Its 3.5% Return On Capital Employed?

Today we'll look at Pkp Cargo S.A. (WSE:PKP) and reflect on its potential as an investment. To be precise, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that will inform our view of the quality of the business.

First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities affect its ROCE.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

ROCE measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'.

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

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

Or for Pkp Cargo:

0.035 = zł214m ÷ (zł7.4b - zł1.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.)

So, Pkp Cargo has an ROCE of 3.5%.

See our latest analysis for Pkp Cargo

Is Pkp Cargo's ROCE Good?

ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. Using our data, Pkp Cargo's ROCE appears to be significantly below the 9.4% average in the Transportation industry. This could be seen as a negative, as it suggests some competitors may be employing their capital more efficiently. Independently of how Pkp Cargo compares to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is low; especially compared to the ~2.0% available in government bonds. Readers may wish to look for more rewarding investments.

Pkp Cargo has an ROCE of 3.5%, but it didn't have an ROCE 3 years ago, since it was unprofitable. That suggests the business has returned to profitability. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Pkp Cargo's past growth compares to other companies.

Remember that this metric is backwards looking - it shows what has happened in the past, and does not accurately predict the future. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. ROCE is only a point-in-time measure. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Pkp Cargo.

What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect Pkp Cargo's ROCE?

Current liabilities include invoices, such as supplier payments, short-term debt, or a tax bill, that need to be paid within 12 months. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

Pkp Cargo has current liabilities of zł1.3b and total assets of zł7.4b. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 17% of its total assets. This is not a high level of current liabilities, which would not boost the ROCE by much.

The Bottom Line On Pkp Cargo's ROCE

That's not a bad thing, however Pkp Cargo has a weak ROCE and may not be an attractive investment. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.