Brenntag (ETR:BNR) Shareholders Will Want The ROCE Trajectory To Continue
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So on that note, Brenntag (ETR:BNR) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Brenntag:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.16 = €1.2b ÷ (€11b - €3.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).
Thus, Brenntag has an ROCE of 16%. That's a pretty standard return and it's in line with the industry average of 16%.
Check out our latest analysis for Brenntag
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Brenntag compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Brenntag.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
We like the trends that we're seeing from Brenntag. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 16%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 43%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.
In Conclusion...
To sum it up, Brenntag has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 54% return over the last five years. 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 Brenntag, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.
While Brenntag 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
