Investors Met With Slowing Returns on Capital At Cargojet (TSE:CJT)
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. That's why when we briefly looked at Cargojet's (TSE:CJT) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Cargojet, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.12 = CA$199m ÷ (CA$1.8b - CA$117m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
So, Cargojet has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Logistics industry average of 14%.
See our latest analysis for Cargojet
In the above chart we have measured Cargojet's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Cargojet here for free.
How Are Returns Trending?
While the returns on capital are good, they haven't moved much. The company has employed 299% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 12%. Since 12% is a moderate ROCE though, it's good to see a business can continue to reinvest at these decent rates of return. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.
On a side note, Cargojet has done well to reduce current liabilities to 6.5% of total assets over the last five years. Effectively suppliers now fund less of the business, which can lower some elements of risk.
In Conclusion...
In the end, Cargojet has proven its ability to adequately reinvest capital at good rates of return. And long term investors would be thrilled with the 222% return they've received over the last five years. So even though the stock might be more "expensive" than it was before, we think the strong fundamentals warrant this stock for further research.
On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for Cargojet (1 doesn't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.
While Cargojet may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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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