Returns On Capital At Acuity Brands (NYSE:AYI) Paint A Concerning Picture

When researching a stock for investment, what can tell us that the company is in decline? Businesses in decline often have two underlying trends, firstly, a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining base of capital employed. This indicates to us that the business is not only shrinking the size of its net assets, but its returns are falling as well. So after glancing at the trends within Acuity Brands (NYSE:AYI), we weren't too hopeful.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Acuity Brands is:

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

0.16 = US$469m ÷ (US$3.7b - US$744m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to February 2022).

Thus, Acuity Brands has an ROCE of 16%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 9.5% generated by the Electrical industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Acuity Brands

In the above chart we have measured Acuity Brands' 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 Acuity Brands.

What Can We Tell From Acuity Brands' ROCE Trend?

There is reason to be cautious about Acuity Brands, given the returns are trending downwards. To be more specific, the ROCE was 21% five years ago, but since then it has dropped noticeably. On top of that, it's worth noting that the amount of capital employed within the business has remained relatively steady. This combination can be indicative of a mature business that still has areas to deploy capital, but the returns received aren't as high due potentially to new competition or smaller margins. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on Acuity Brands becoming one if things continue as they have.

The Bottom Line On Acuity Brands' ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that Acuity Brands is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. And long term shareholders have watched their investments stay flat over the last five years. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

While Acuity Brands doesn't shine too bright in this respect, it's still worth seeing if the company is trading at attractive prices. You can find that out with our FREE intrinsic value estimation on our platform.

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

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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.