We Like These Underlying Return On Capital Trends At ExlService Holdings (NASDAQ:EXLS)

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in ExlService Holdings' (NASDAQ:EXLS) returns on capital, so let's have a 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. The formula for this calculation on ExlService Holdings is:

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

0.15 = US$158m ÷ (US$1.3b - US$222m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

Thus, ExlService Holdings has an ROCE of 15%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the IT industry average of 12% it's much better.

See our latest analysis for ExlService Holdings

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

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at ExlService Holdings. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 15%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 71% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

What We Can Learn From ExlService Holdings' ROCE

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what ExlService Holdings has. Since the stock has returned a staggering 158% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation that compares the share price and estimated value.

While ExlService Holdings isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.