The Return Trends At QuinStreet (NASDAQ:QNST) Look Promising

If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at QuinStreet (NASDAQ:QNST) so let's look a bit deeper.

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

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 QuinStreet:

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

0.045 = US$15m ÷ (US$442m - US$110m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).

Therefore, QuinStreet has an ROCE of 4.5%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Interactive Media and Services industry average of 11%.

See our latest analysis for QuinStreet

Above you can see how the current ROCE for QuinStreet 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.

How Are Returns Trending?

The fact that QuinStreet is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. About five years ago the company was generating losses but things have turned around because it's now earning 4.5% on its capital. And unsurprisingly, like most companies trying to break into the black, QuinStreet is utilizing 159% more capital than it was five years ago. We like this trend, because it tells us the company has profitable reinvestment opportunities available to it, and if it continues going forward that can lead to a multi-bagger performance.

Our Take On QuinStreet's ROCE

To the delight of most shareholders, QuinStreet has now broken into profitability. Since the stock has returned a staggering 360% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if QuinStreet can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

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

While QuinStreet 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.