BH Global (SGX:BQN) Is Experiencing Growth In Returns On Capital

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in BH Global's (SGX:BQN) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for BH Global:

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

0.033 = S$2.1m ÷ (S$86m - S$23m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, BH Global has an ROCE of 3.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Electrical industry average of 8.2%.

Check out our latest analysis for BH Global

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how BH Global has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Can We Tell From BH Global's ROCE Trend?

We're delighted to see that BH Global is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's earning 3.3% which is a sight for sore eyes. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 84% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can tell us that the company has plenty of reinvestment opportunities that are able to generate higher returns.

On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 27%, 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.

The Key Takeaway

Overall, BH Global gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. However the stock is down a substantial 80% in the last three years so there could be other areas of the business hurting its prospects. Still, it's worth doing some further research to see if the trends will continue into the future.

If you'd like to know more about BH Global, we've spotted 5 warning signs, and 1 of them makes us a bit uncomfortable.

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.