The Returns At Silgan Holdings (NYSE:SLGN) Aren't Growing

Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. 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 Silgan Holdings (NYSE:SLGN) 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)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Silgan Holdings:

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

0.099 = US$587m ÷ (US$7.9b - US$2.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).

Thus, Silgan Holdings has an ROCE of 9.9%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 10.0%, it's still a low return by itself.

See our latest analysis for Silgan Holdings

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Silgan Holdings 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 Silgan Holdings.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Silgan Holdings. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 9.9% and the business has deployed 64% more capital into its operations. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

The Bottom Line

Long story short, while Silgan Holdings has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 67% over the last five years. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

Like most companies, Silgan Holdings does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Silgan Holdings 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.