Southern (NYSE:SO) Hasn't Managed To Accelerate Its Returns

What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating Southern (NYSE:SO), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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 Southern is:

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

0.06 = US$7.9b ÷ (US$144b - US$12b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Thus, Southern has an ROCE of 6.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Electric Utilities industry average of 4.7%.

See our latest analysis for Southern

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Southern 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 analyst report for Southern .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Southern. The company has employed 23% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 6.0%. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

The Bottom Line

In summary, Southern has simply been reinvesting capital and generating the same low rate of return as before. Since the stock has gained an impressive 75% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

One final note, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Southern (including 1 which is a bit concerning) .

While Southern 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.