Yanbu National Petrochemical (TADAWUL:2290) May Have Issues Allocating Its Capital

When researching a stock for investment, what can tell us that the company is in decline? When we see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) in conjunction with a declining base of capital employed, that's often how a mature business shows signs of aging. This reveals that the company isn't compounding shareholder wealth because returns are falling and its net asset base is shrinking. Having said that, after a brief look, Yanbu National Petrochemical (TADAWUL:2290) we aren't filled with optimism, but let's investigate further.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Yanbu National Petrochemical, this is the formula:

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

0.10 = ر.س1.6b ÷ (ر.س17b - ر.س1.4b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, Yanbu National Petrochemical has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Chemicals industry average of 9.2%.

View our latest analysis for Yanbu National Petrochemical

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Yanbu National Petrochemical 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 Yanbu National Petrochemical here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

There is reason to be cautious about Yanbu National Petrochemical, given the returns are trending downwards. To be more specific, the ROCE was 13% five years ago, but since then it has dropped noticeably. On top of that, it's worth noting that the amount of capital employed within the business has remained relatively steady. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on Yanbu National Petrochemical becoming one if things continue as they have.

The Bottom Line

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. However the stock has delivered a 52% return to shareholders over the last five years, so investors might be expecting the trends to turn around. 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 Yanbu National Petrochemical, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.

While Yanbu National Petrochemical 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.

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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.