Stock Analysis

Returns On Capital At Teleflex (NYSE:TFX) Have Stalled

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NYSE:TFX
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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. Having said that, from a first glance at Teleflex (NYSE:TFX) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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 Teleflex:

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

0.086 = US$555m ÷ (US$7.0b - US$562m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Thus, Teleflex has an ROCE of 8.6%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 8.4% average generated by the Medical Equipment industry.

View our latest analysis for Teleflex

roce
NYSE:TFX Return on Capital Employed November 30th 2021

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Teleflex compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Teleflex. The company has consistently earned 8.6% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 83% in that time. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

The Bottom Line

Long story short, while Teleflex has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 105% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward.

One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing Teleflex that you might find interesting.

While Teleflex 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.

Valuation is complex, but we're helping make it simple.

Find out whether Teleflex is potentially over or undervalued by checking out our comprehensive analysis, which includes fair value estimates, risks and warnings, dividends, insider transactions and financial health.

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