Capital Allocation Trends At Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Aren't Ideal

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding 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. In light of that, when we looked at Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Blue Bird:

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

0.15 = US$28m ÷ (US$363m - US$172m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to July 2021).

Therefore, Blue Bird has an ROCE of 15%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 10% generated by the Machinery industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Blue Bird

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Blue Bird 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 Blue Bird's ROCE Trend?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Blue Bird doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 40%, but since then they've fallen to 15%. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se.

On a side note, Blue Bird has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 47% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money. Either way, they're still at a pretty high level, so we'd like to see them fall further if possible.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, we're somewhat concerned by Blue Bird's diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. However the stock has delivered a 45% return to shareholders over the last five years, so investors might be expecting the trends to turn around. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.

If you want to know some of the risks facing Blue Bird we've found 3 warning signs (1 is potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

While Blue Bird isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.

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