D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI) Is Investing Its Capital With Increasing Efficiency

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at D.R. Horton's (NYSE:DHI) look very promising so lets take a look.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for D.R. Horton:

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

0.27 = US$5.4b ÷ (US$24b - US$4.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Therefore, D.R. Horton has an ROCE of 27%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 15% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for D.R. Horton

Above you can see how the current ROCE for D.R. Horton compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering D.R. Horton here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

The trends we've noticed at D.R. Horton are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 27%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 105%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

What We Can Learn From D.R. Horton's ROCE

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 D.R. Horton has. And a remarkable 269% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

One more thing: We've identified 2 warning signs with D.R. Horton (at least 1 which can't be ignored) , and understanding them would certainly be useful.

D.R. Horton is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.

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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.