Can AAON (NASDAQ:AAON) Prolong Its Impressive Returns?
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'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 AAON (NASDAQ:AAON) looks attractive right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.
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. To calculate this metric for AAON, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.27 = US$101m ÷ (US$440m - US$62m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).
Thus, AAON has an ROCE of 27%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 15% earned by companies in a similar industry.
See our latest analysis for AAON
Above you can see how the current ROCE for AAON 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.
The Trend Of ROCE
In terms of AAON's history of ROCE, it's quite impressive. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 27% and the business has deployed 78% more capital into its operations. Now considering ROCE is an attractive 27%, this combination is actually pretty appealing because it means the business can consistently put money to work and generate these high returns. If AAON can keep this up, we'd be very optimistic about its future.
The Key Takeaway
In short, we'd argue AAON has the makings of a multi-bagger since its been able to compound its capital at very profitable rates of return. On top of that, the stock has rewarded shareholders with a remarkable 263% return to those who've held over the last five years. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we still believe the stock deserves further research.
AAON does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for AAON that you might be interested in.
High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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