Some Investors May Be Worried About Chorus' (NZSE:CNU) Returns On Capital
What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Chorus (NZSE:CNU) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Chorus, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.042 = NZ$226m ÷ (NZ$5.9b - NZ$461m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).
Therefore, Chorus has an ROCE of 4.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Telecom industry average of 5.9%.
See our latest analysis for Chorus
In the above chart we have measured Chorus' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Chorus.
What Can We Tell From Chorus' ROCE Trend?
We weren't thrilled with the trend because Chorus' ROCE has reduced by 42% over the last five years, while the business employed 46% more capital. Usually this isn't ideal, but given Chorus conducted a capital raising before their most recent earnings announcement, that would've likely contributed, at least partially, to the increased capital employed figure. Chorus probably hasn't received a full year of earnings yet from the new funds it raised, so these figures should be taken with a grain of salt.
What We Can Learn From Chorus' ROCE
In summary, Chorus is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 129% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.
On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for Chorus that we think you should be aware of.
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.
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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