Returns On Capital At Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE:SIX) Have Stalled

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE:SIX), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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. To calculate this metric for Six Flags Entertainment, this is the formula:

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

0.11 = US$271m ÷ (US$3.1b - US$522m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to October 2021).

Thus, Six Flags Entertainment has an ROCE of 11%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 9.0% generated by the Hospitality industry.

View our latest analysis for Six Flags Entertainment

In the above chart we have measured Six Flags Entertainment'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 Six Flags Entertainment here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

Over the past five years, Six Flags Entertainment's ROCE and capital employed have both remained mostly flat. This tells us the company isn't reinvesting in itself, so it's plausible that it's past the growth phase. With that in mind, unless investment picks up again in the future, we wouldn't expect Six Flags Entertainment to be a multi-bagger going forward.

In Conclusion...

In summary, Six Flags Entertainment isn't compounding its earnings but is generating stable returns on the same amount of capital employed. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 11% in the last five years. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

If you want to know some of the risks facing Six Flags Entertainment we've found 3 warning signs (2 don't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

While Six Flags Entertainment 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.

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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.