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Yahoo Finance Plus Some Investors May Be Worried About Koenig & Bauer's (ETR:SKB) Returns On Capital
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, 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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Koenig & Bauer (ETR:SKB) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
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. To calculate this metric for Koenig & Bauer, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.042 = €32m ÷ (€1.5b - €691m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).
Therefore, Koenig & Bauer has an ROCE of 4.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Machinery industry average of 11%.
See our latest analysis for Koenig & Bauer
In the above chart we have measured Koenig & Bauer's 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 Koenig & Bauer.
What Does the ROCE Trend For Koenig & Bauer Tell Us?
When we looked at the ROCE trend at Koenig & Bauer, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 4.2% from 11% five years ago. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.
On a separate but related note, it's important to know that Koenig & Bauer has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 47%, which we'd consider pretty high. 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. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.
What We Can Learn From Koenig & Bauer's ROCE
Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for Koenig & Bauer. But since the stock has dived 71% in the last five years, there could be other drivers that are influencing the business' outlook. Regardless, reinvestment can pay off in the long run, so we think astute investors may want to look further into this stock.
Koenig & Bauer could be trading at an attractive price in other respects, so you might find our free intrinsic value estimation on our platform quite valuable.
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.
