Returns On Capital At ZoomInfo Technologies (NASDAQ:ZI) Paint A Concerning Picture

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Although, when we looked at ZoomInfo Technologies (NASDAQ:ZI), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. The formula for this calculation on ZoomInfo Technologies is:

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

0.022 = US$137m ÷ (US$6.9b - US$508m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

Thus, ZoomInfo Technologies has an ROCE of 2.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Interactive Media and Services industry average of 10%.

Check out our latest analysis for ZoomInfo Technologies

Above you can see how the current ROCE for ZoomInfo Technologies 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 ZoomInfo Technologies.

The Trend Of ROCE

In terms of ZoomInfo Technologies' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around three years ago the returns on capital were 6.3%, but since then they've fallen to 2.2%. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that ZoomInfo Technologies is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. These trends are starting to be recognized by investors since the stock has delivered a 4.2% gain to shareholders who've held over the last year. So this stock may still be an appealing investment opportunity, if other fundamentals prove to be sound.

On a separate note, we've found 5 warning signs for ZoomInfo Technologies you'll probably want to know about.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

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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.