Here's What To Make Of PNM Resources' (NYSE:PNM) Returns On Capital
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think PNM Resources (NYSE:PNM) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for PNM Resources:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.049 = US$321m ÷ (US$7.7b - US$1.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2020).
So, PNM Resources has an ROCE of 4.9%. On its own that's a low return on capital but it's in line with the industry's average returns of 4.5%.
See our latest analysis for PNM Resources
Above you can see how the current ROCE for PNM Resources 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 PNM Resources.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
Things have been pretty stable at PNM Resources, with its capital employed and returns on that capital staying somewhat the same for the last five years. Businesses with these traits tend to be mature and steady operations because they're past the growth phase. So don't be surprised if PNM Resources doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time. This probably explains why PNM Resources is paying out 55% of its income to shareholders in the form of dividends. Given the business isn't reinvesting in itself, it makes sense to distribute a portion of earnings among shareholders.
Our Take On PNM Resources' ROCE
We can conclude that in regards to PNM Resources' returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 72% over the last five years. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.
One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with PNM Resources (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) .
While PNM Resources isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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. 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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