Should You Invest In TriNet Group (NYSE:TNET)?

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. So when we looked at the ROCE trend of TriNet Group (NYSE:TNET) we really liked what we saw.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

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 TriNet Group is:

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

0.34 = US$424m ÷ (US$2.8b - US$1.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).

Thus, TriNet Group has an ROCE of 34%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Professional Services industry average of 9.8%.

See our latest analysis for TriNet Group

In the above chart we have measured TriNet Group's 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 TriNet Group here for free.

What Can We Tell From TriNet Group's ROCE Trend?

The trends we've noticed at TriNet Group are quite reassuring. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 34%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 109% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

On a separate but related note, it's important to know that TriNet Group has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 56%, which we'd consider pretty high. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

The Key Takeaway

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what TriNet Group has. And a remarkable 290% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

TriNet Group does have some risks though, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for TriNet Group that you might be interested in.

High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks 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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