Examining Raffles Education Corporation Limited’s (SGX:NR7) Weak Return On Capital Employed
Today we'll look at Raffles Education Corporation Limited (SGX:NR7) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires.
Firstly, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. And finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities are impacting its ROCE.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
ROCE measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.
How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?
Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
Or for Raffles Education:
0.0016 = S$1.7m ÷ (S$1.2b - S$194m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)
So, Raffles Education has an ROCE of 0.2%.
Check out our latest analysis for Raffles Education
Does Raffles Education Have A Good ROCE?
ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. Using our data, Raffles Education's ROCE appears to be significantly below the 8.5% average in the Consumer Services industry. This could be seen as a negative, as it suggests some competitors may be employing their capital more efficiently. Regardless of how Raffles Education stacks up against its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is quite low (especially compared to a bank account). There are potentially more appealing investments elsewhere.
You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Raffles Education's past growth compares to other companies.
When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. ROCE is only a point-in-time measure. If Raffles Education is cyclical, it could make sense to check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Raffles Education's Current Liabilities And Their Impact On Its ROCE
Current liabilities include invoices, such as supplier payments, short-term debt, or a tax bill, that need to be paid within 12 months. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To check the impact of this, we calculate if a company has high current liabilities relative to its total assets.
Raffles Education has total liabilities of S$194m and total assets of S$1.2b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 16% of its total assets. With a very reasonable level of current liabilities, so the impact on ROCE is fairly minimal.
Our Take On Raffles Education's ROCE
Raffles Education has a poor ROCE, and there may be better investment prospects out there. You might be able to find a better investment than Raffles Education. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).
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.
