Should You Like Ganesha Ecosphere Limited’s (NSE:GANECOS) High Return On Capital Employed?
Today we are going to look at Ganesha Ecosphere Limited (NSE:GANECOS) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.
First up, we'll look at what ROCE is and how we calculate it. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.
What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Generally speaking a higher ROCE is better. 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?
The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
Or for Ganesha Ecosphere:
0.22 = ₹1.1b ÷ (₹6.1b - ₹1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)
Therefore, Ganesha Ecosphere has an ROCE of 22%.
Check out our latest analysis for Ganesha Ecosphere
Is Ganesha Ecosphere's ROCE Good?
When making comparisons between similar businesses, investors may find ROCE useful. Using our data, we find that Ganesha Ecosphere's ROCE is meaningfully better than the 12% average in the Luxury industry. I think that's good to see, since it implies the company is better than other companies at making the most of its capital. Separate from Ganesha Ecosphere's performance relative to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms looks satisfactory, and it may be worth researching in more depth.
You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Ganesha Ecosphere'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, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Ganesha Ecosphere.
What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect Ganesha Ecosphere's ROCE?
Short term (or current) liabilities, are things like supplier invoices, overdrafts, or tax bills 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 counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets.
Ganesha Ecosphere has total liabilities of ₹1.1b and total assets of ₹6.1b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 17% of its total assets. Current liabilities are minimal, limiting the impact on ROCE.
Our Take On Ganesha Ecosphere's ROCE
With that in mind, Ganesha Ecosphere's ROCE appears pretty good. Ganesha Ecosphere looks strong on this analysis, but there are plenty of other companies that could be a good opportunity . Here is a free list of companies growing earnings rapidly.
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
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.
