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

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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. Although, when we looked at ACCO Brands (NYSE:ACCO), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for ACCO Brands:

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

0.065 = US$161m ÷ (US$3.1b - US$586m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, ACCO Brands has an ROCE of 6.5%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Commercial Services industry average of 8.9%.

See our latest analysis for ACCO Brands

In the above chart we have measured ACCO Brands' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering ACCO Brands here for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For ACCO Brands Tell Us?

In terms of ACCO Brands' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 10.0%, but since then they've fallen to 6.5%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

What We Can Learn From ACCO Brands' ROCE

While returns have fallen for ACCO Brands in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. These growth trends haven't led to growth returns though, since the stock has fallen 23% over the last five years. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for ACCO Brands (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should know about.

While ACCO Brands 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.

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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