Some Investors May Be Worried About NorthWestern's (NASDAQ:NWE) Returns On Capital

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. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Having said that, from a first glance at NorthWestern (NASDAQ:NWE) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on NorthWestern is:

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

0.039 = US$256m ÷ (US$7.1b - US$618m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

Thus, NorthWestern has an ROCE of 3.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Integrated Utilities industry average of 4.7%.

See our latest analysis for NorthWestern

Above you can see how the current ROCE for NorthWestern 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 NorthWestern here for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at NorthWestern, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 5.1% over the last five years. However it looks like NorthWestern might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by NorthWestern's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And with the stock having returned a mere 26% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.

If you want to know some of the risks facing NorthWestern we've found 3 warning signs (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.