Allison Transmission Holdings (NYSE:ALSN) Hasn't Managed To Accelerate Its Returns

Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. 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 investigating Allison Transmission Holdings (NYSE:ALSN), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Allison Transmission Holdings:

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

0.19 = US$793m ÷ (US$4.7b - US$480m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

Therefore, Allison Transmission Holdings has an ROCE of 19%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 12% generated by the Machinery industry.

See our latest analysis for Allison Transmission Holdings

In the above chart we have measured Allison Transmission Holdings' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Allison Transmission Holdings.

SWOT Analysis for Allison Transmission Holdings

What Can We Tell From Allison Transmission Holdings' ROCE Trend?

Things have been pretty stable at Allison Transmission Holdings, with its capital employed and returns on that capital staying somewhat the same for the last five years. This tells us the company isn't reinvesting in itself, so it's plausible that it's past the growth phase. With that in mind, unless investment picks up again in the future, we wouldn't expect Allison Transmission Holdings to be a multi-bagger going forward.

The Bottom Line

We can conclude that in regards to Allison Transmission Holdings' returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. And with the stock having returned a mere 13% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. As a result, if you're hunting for a multi-bagger, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

Like most companies, Allison Transmission Holdings does come with some risks, and we've found 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.