Alpha Pro Tech (NYSEMKT:APT) Knows How To Allocate Capital Effectively
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Alpha Pro Tech's (NYSEMKT:APT) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Alpha Pro Tech is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.41 = US$23m ÷ (US$65m - US$8.1m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).
Thus, Alpha Pro Tech has an ROCE of 41%. 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 Alpha Pro Tech
In the above chart we have measured Alpha Pro Tech's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Alpha Pro Tech.
So How Is Alpha Pro Tech's ROCE Trending?
The trends we've noticed at Alpha Pro Tech are quite reassuring. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 41%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 51% more capital is being employed now too. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Alpha Pro Tech thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.
Our Take On Alpha Pro Tech's ROCE
To sum it up, Alpha Pro Tech has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.
If you'd like to know about the risks facing Alpha Pro Tech, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.
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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