AQ Group (STO:AQ) Hasn't Managed To Accelerate Its Returns

Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. With that in mind, the ROCE of AQ Group (STO:AQ) looks decent, right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

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

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for AQ Group:

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

0.13 = kr418m ÷ (kr4.3b - kr1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

So, AQ Group has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Electrical industry average of 12%.

View our latest analysis for AQ Group

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for AQ Group's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you're interested in investigating AQ Group's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Does the ROCE Trend For AQ Group Tell Us?

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has employed 114% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 13%. Since 13% is a moderate ROCE though, it's good to see a business can continue to reinvest at these decent rates of return. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

The Bottom Line

The main thing to remember is that AQ Group has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. And the stock has followed suit returning a meaningful 51% to shareholders over the last five years. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

AQ Group could be trading at an attractive price in other respects, so you might find our free intrinsic value estimation on our platform quite valuable.

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.

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.