What Does Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre, Public Joint Stock Company’s (MCX:MRKC) 8.4% ROCE Say About The Business?

Today we are going to look at Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre, Public Joint Stock Company (MCX:MRKC) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires.

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

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed:

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

Or for Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre:

0.084 = ₽7.2b ÷ (₽109b - ₽24b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)

Therefore, Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre has an ROCE of 8.4%.

Check out our latest analysis for Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre

Does Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre Have A Good ROCE?

One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. It appears that Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre's ROCE is fairly close to the Electric Utilities industry average of 10%. Regardless of how Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre stacks up against its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is quite low (especially compared to a bank account). It is likely that there are more attractive prospects out there.

You can see in the image below how Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre's ROCE compares to its industry.

When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. Future performance is what matters, and you can see analyst predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre's ROCE?

Short term (or current) liabilities, are things like supplier invoices, overdrafts, or tax bills 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 counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets.

Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre has total liabilities of ₽24b and total assets of ₽109b. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 22% of its total assets. This is a modest level of current liabilities, which will have a limited impact on the ROCE.

The Bottom Line On Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre's ROCE

While that is good to see, Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Centre has a low ROCE and does not look attractive in this analysis. 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.

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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.

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. Thank you for reading.