If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think AmiaLtd (GTSM:8438) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
Understanding 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. The formula for this calculation on AmiaLtd is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.04 = NT$53m ÷ (NT$2.3b - NT$1.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).
Therefore, AmiaLtd has an ROCE of 4.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Chemicals industry average of 6.7%.
View our latest analysis for AmiaLtd
Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for AmiaLtd's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of AmiaLtd, check out these free graphs here.
What Does the ROCE Trend For AmiaLtd Tell Us?
There hasn't been much to report for AmiaLtd's returns and its level of capital employed because both metrics have been steady for the past five years. This tells us the company isn't reinvesting in itself, so it's plausible that it's past the growth phase. So don't be surprised if AmiaLtd doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time.
Another thing to note, AmiaLtd has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 44%. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.
Our Take On AmiaLtd's ROCE
We can conclude that in regards to AmiaLtd's returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 51% over the last five years. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.
Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 5 warning signs for AmiaLtd (of which 1 is significant!) that you should know about.
While AmiaLtd 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.
If you decide to trade AmiaLtd, use the lowest-cost* platform that is rated #1 Overall by Barron’s, Interactive Brokers. Trade stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds on 135 markets, all from a single integrated account. Promoted
New: Manage All Your Stock Portfolios in One Place
We've created the ultimate portfolio companion for stock investors, and it's free.
• Connect an unlimited number of Portfolios and see your total in one currency
• Be alerted to new Warning Signs or Risks via email or mobile
• Track the Fair Value of your stocks
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. 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.
*Interactive Brokers Rated Lowest Cost Broker by StockBrokers.com Annual Online Review 2020
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
About TWSE:8438
AmiaLtd
Engages in the processing, manufacturing, trading, and recycling of various industrial chemicals in Taiwan and China.
Flawless balance sheet with solid track record and pays a dividend.