If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So when we looked at Studsvik (STO:SVIK) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.
What Is 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 Studsvik is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.10 = kr75m ÷ (kr1.0b - kr293m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).
Therefore, Studsvik has an ROCE of 10%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 10%.
See our latest analysis for Studsvik
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Studsvik compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
What Can We Tell From Studsvik's ROCE Trend?
Studsvik is displaying some positive trends. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 10%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 49% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.
On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 29%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. So this improvement in ROCE has come from the business' underlying economics, which is great to see.
What We Can Learn From Studsvik's ROCE
A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Studsvik has. And a remarkable 291% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.
Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation that compares the share price and estimated value.
While Studsvik isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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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.
About OM:SVIK
Studsvik
Develops, sells, and delivers technical solutions across the nuclear and radioactive material lifecycle in Sweden, Germany, rest of Europe, Asia, North America, and internationally.
Reasonable growth potential with adequate balance sheet.