Returns On Capital At Jerónimo Martins SGPS (ELI:JMT) Paint A Concerning Picture

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Although, when we looked at Jerónimo Martins SGPS (ELI:JMT), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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 Jerónimo Martins SGPS is:

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

0.16 = €768m ÷ (€9.4b - €4.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

So, Jerónimo Martins SGPS has an ROCE of 16%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Consumer Retailing industry average of 11% it's much better.

Check out our latest analysis for Jerónimo Martins SGPS

In the above chart we have measured Jerónimo Martins SGPS' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Jerónimo Martins SGPS here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Jerónimo Martins SGPS, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 16% from 26% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

Another thing to note, Jerónimo Martins SGPS has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 50%. 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.

In Conclusion...

In summary, Jerónimo Martins SGPS is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 33% to shareholders over the last five years. As a result, if you're hunting for a multi-bagger, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

If you're still interested in Jerónimo Martins SGPS it's worth checking out our FREE intrinsic value approximation to see if it's trading at an attractive price in other respects.

While Jerónimo Martins SGPS may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.