Is Allied Motion Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:AMOT) Creating Value For Shareholders?
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Today we'll evaluate Allied Motion Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:AMOT) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.
First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'.
How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?
The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
Or for Allied Motion Technologies:
0.093 = US$25m ÷ (US$312m - US$45m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)
So, Allied Motion Technologies has an ROCE of 9.3%.
See our latest analysis for Allied Motion Technologies
Does Allied Motion Technologies Have A Good ROCE?
When making comparisons between similar businesses, investors may find ROCE useful. Using our data, Allied Motion Technologies's ROCE appears to be around the 11% average of the Electrical industry. Separate from how Allied Motion Technologies stacks up against its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is mediocre; relative to the returns on government bonds. It is possible that there are more rewarding investments out there.
Allied Motion Technologies's current ROCE of 9.3% is lower than 3 years ago, when the company reported a 15% ROCE. This makes us wonder if the business is facing new challenges. You can see in the image below how Allied Motion Technologies's ROCE compares to its industry. Click to see more on past growth.
It is important to remember that ROCE shows past performance, and is not necessarily predictive. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. ROCE is only a point-in-time measure. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Allied Motion Technologies.
Allied Motion Technologies's Current Liabilities And Their Impact On Its ROCE
Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. Due to the way the ROCE equation works, having large bills due in the near term can make it look as though a company has less capital employed, and thus a higher ROCE than usual. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.
Allied Motion Technologies has total assets of US$312m and current liabilities of US$45m. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 14% of its total assets. This is a modest level of current liabilities, which would only have a small effect on ROCE.
Our Take On Allied Motion Technologies's ROCE
With that in mind, we're not overly impressed with Allied Motion Technologies's ROCE, so it may not be the most appealing prospect. Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Allied Motion Technologies. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.
If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
