Returns On Capital At PACCAR (NASDAQ:PCAR) Have Stalled

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. With that in mind, the ROCE of PACCAR (NASDAQ:PCAR) 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 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. To calculate this metric for PACCAR, this is the formula:

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

0.10 = US$2.5b ÷ (US$31b - US$5.4b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

So, PACCAR has an ROCE of 10%. That's a pretty standard return and it's in line with the industry average of 9.9%.

See our latest analysis for PACCAR

Above you can see how the current ROCE for PACCAR compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for PACCAR.

So How Is PACCAR's ROCE Trending?

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 10% and the business has deployed 38% more capital into its operations. Since 10% is a moderate ROCE though, it's good to see a business can continue to reinvest at these decent rates of return. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.

The Bottom Line On PACCAR's ROCE

The main thing to remember is that PACCAR has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. And the stock has followed suit returning a meaningful 63% to shareholders over the last five years. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we still believe the stock deserves further research.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for PACCAR (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should know about.

While PACCAR 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.

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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.