The Trend Of High Returns At DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS) Has Us Very Interested

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.

What is 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for DICK'S Sporting Goods:

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

0.36 = US$1.9b ÷ (US$8.0b - US$2.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to October 2021).

Therefore, DICK'S Sporting Goods has an ROCE of 36%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 20% earned by companies in a similar industry.

See our latest analysis for DICK'S Sporting Goods

Above you can see how the current ROCE for DICK'S Sporting Goods compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering DICK'S Sporting Goods here for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

The trends we've noticed at DICK'S Sporting Goods are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 36%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 89%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

The Key Takeaway

All in all, it's terrific to see that DICK'S Sporting Goods is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if DICK'S Sporting Goods can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

One more thing: We've identified 3 warning signs with DICK'S Sporting Goods (at least 1 which is potentially serious) , and understanding these would certainly be useful.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high 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.