Return Trends At Booz Allen Hamilton Holding (NYSE:BAH) Aren't Appealing

To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount 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. So, when we ran our eye over Booz Allen Hamilton Holding's (NYSE:BAH) trend of ROCE, we liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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 Booz Allen Hamilton Holding:

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

0.17 = US$791m ÷ (US$6.0b - US$1.4b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, Booz Allen Hamilton Holding has an ROCE of 17%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 11% generated by the Professional Services industry.

View our latest analysis for Booz Allen Hamilton Holding

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Booz Allen Hamilton Holding 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 Booz Allen Hamilton Holding.

How Are Returns Trending?

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has employed 108% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 17%. 17% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Booz Allen Hamilton Holding has consistently earned this amount. 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 Key Takeaway

In the end, Booz Allen Hamilton Holding has proven its ability to adequately reinvest capital at good rates of return. On top of that, the stock has rewarded shareholders with a remarkable 159% return to those who've held over the last five years. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we still believe the stock deserves further research.

On a separate note, we've found 2 warning signs for Booz Allen Hamilton Holding you'll probably want to know about.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.