Euro Tech Holdings (NASDAQ:CLWT) Is Looking To Continue Growing Its Returns On Capital
What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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, Euro Tech Holdings (NASDAQ:CLWT) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.
Understanding 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 Euro Tech Holdings is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.0086 = US$128k ÷ (US$19m - US$4.5m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).
Thus, Euro Tech Holdings has an ROCE of 0.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Trade Distributors industry average of 14%.
View our latest analysis for Euro Tech Holdings
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 want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Euro Tech Holdings, check out these free graphs here.
What Can We Tell From Euro Tech Holdings' ROCE Trend?
Euro Tech Holdings has broken into the black (profitability) and we're sure it's a sight for sore eyes. The company now earns 0.9% on its capital, because five years ago it was incurring losses. While returns have increased, the amount of capital employed by Euro Tech Holdings has remained flat over the period. With no noticeable increase in capital employed, it's worth knowing what the company plans on doing going forward in regards to reinvesting and growing the business. After all, a company can only become a long term multi-bagger if it continually reinvests in itself at high rates of return.
The Key Takeaway
To bring it all together, Euro Tech Holdings has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 91% return over the last five years. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.
Euro Tech Holdings does have some risks though, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Euro Tech Holdings that you might be interested in.
While Euro Tech Holdings 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.
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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.
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