Frencken Group (SGX:E28) Is Experiencing Growth In Returns On Capital
If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Frencken Group's (SGX:E28) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Frencken Group:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.14 = S$58m ÷ (S$728m - S$316m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
So, Frencken Group has an ROCE of 14%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Machinery industry average of 6.5% it's much better.
View our latest analysis for Frencken Group
In the above chart we have measured Frencken Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
What Can We Tell From Frencken Group's ROCE Trend?
The trends we've noticed at Frencken Group are quite reassuring. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 14%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 70%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Frencken Group thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.
Another thing to note, Frencken Group has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 43%. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.
In Conclusion...
A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Frencken Group has. And a remarkable 123% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.
Frencken Group does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Frencken Group that you might be interested in.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.
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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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