What Do The Returns On Capital At Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) Tell Us?

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. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Casella Waste Systems:

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

0.077 = US$66m ÷ (US$994m - US$138m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).

Thus, Casella Waste Systems has an ROCE of 7.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Commercial Services industry average of 11%.

View our latest analysis for Casella Waste Systems

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Casella Waste Systems 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 Casella Waste Systems.

So How Is Casella Waste Systems' ROCE Trending?

In terms of Casella Waste Systems' historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. The company has employed 48% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 7.7%. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

In Conclusion...

As we've seen above, Casella Waste Systems' returns on capital haven't increased but it is reinvesting in the business. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 759% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

One more thing: We've identified 3 warning signs with Casella Waste Systems (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding them would certainly be useful.

While Casella Waste Systems 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. 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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