We Like Mustek's (JSE:MST) Returns And Here's How They're Trending

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. With that in mind, the ROCE of Mustek (JSE:MST) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.

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 Mustek is:

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

0.35 = R578m ÷ (R5.7b - R4.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Therefore, Mustek has an ROCE of 35%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Tech industry average of 8.8%.

See our latest analysis for Mustek

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how Mustek has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of Mustek's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Can We Tell From Mustek's ROCE Trend?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Mustek. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 35%. 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 63%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

On a side note, Mustek's current liabilities are still rather high at 71% of total assets. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

The Bottom Line

All in all, it's terrific to see that Mustek is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a solid 57% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

Mustek does have some risks, we noticed 4 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about.

If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets 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.