Here's What's Concerning About Kimberly-Clark's (NYSE:KMB) 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. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base 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. Looking at Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB), it does have a high ROCE right now, but lets see how returns are trending.
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. The formula for this calculation on Kimberly-Clark is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.29 = US$3.0b ÷ (US$17b - US$6.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).
So, Kimberly-Clark has an ROCE of 29%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Household Products industry average of 16%.
Check out our latest analysis for Kimberly-Clark
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Kimberly-Clark compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Kimberly-Clark here for free.
The Trend Of ROCE
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Kimberly-Clark doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, while the ROCE is still high, it's fallen from 42% where it was five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.
The Bottom Line On Kimberly-Clark's ROCE
In summary, Kimberly-Clark is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And with the stock having returned a mere 31% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.
If you want to continue researching Kimberly-Clark, you might be interested to know about the 4 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.
If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high 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.
