OMV Petrom (BVB:SNP) May Have Issues Allocating Its Capital

When researching a stock for investment, what can tell us that the company is in decline? Typically, we'll see the trend of both return on capital employed (ROCE) declining and this usually coincides with a decreasing amount of capital employed. This combination can tell you that not only is the company investing less, it's earning less on what it does invest. So after glancing at the trends within OMV Petrom (BVB:SNP), we weren't too hopeful.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for OMV Petrom:

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

0.055 = RON2.3b ÷ (RON49b - RON7.4b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

So, OMV Petrom has an ROCE of 5.5%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 5.5%, it's still a low return by itself.

View our latest analysis for OMV Petrom

Above you can see how the current ROCE for OMV Petrom compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering OMV Petrom here for free.

So How Is OMV Petrom's ROCE Trending?

There is reason to be cautious about OMV Petrom, given the returns are trending downwards. To be more specific, the ROCE was 8.1% five years ago, but since then it has dropped noticeably. Meanwhile, capital employed in the business has stayed roughly the flat over the period. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. If these trends continue, we wouldn't expect OMV Petrom to turn into a multi-bagger.

Our Take On OMV Petrom's ROCE

In the end, the trend of lower returns on the same amount of capital isn't typically an indication that we're looking at a growth stock. The market must be rosy on the stock's future because even though the underlying trends aren't too encouraging, the stock has soared 142%. In any case, the current underlying trends don't bode well for long term performance so unless they reverse, we'd start looking elsewhere.

If you want to continue researching OMV Petrom, you might be interested to know about the 2 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high 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.