Is MIND C.T.I (NASDAQ:MNDO) Struggling?
If we're looking to avoid a business that is in decline, what are the trends that can warn us ahead of time? When we see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) in conjunction with a declining base of capital employed, that's often how a mature business shows signs of aging. Trends like this ultimately mean the business is reducing its investments and also earning less on what it has invested. On that note, looking into MIND C.T.I (NASDAQ:MNDO), we weren't too upbeat about how things were going.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on MIND C.T.I is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.23 = US$5.2m ÷ (US$28m - US$5.6m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).
So, MIND C.T.I has an ROCE of 23%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 9.3% earned by companies in a similar industry.
Check out our latest analysis for MIND C.T.I
While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of MIND C.T.I, check out these free graphs here.
The Trend Of ROCE
In terms of MIND C.T.I's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. Unfortunately the returns on capital have diminished from the 37% that they were earning five years ago. On top of that, it's worth noting that the amount of capital employed within the business has remained relatively steady. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on MIND C.T.I becoming one if things continue as they have.
The Bottom Line
In the end, the trend of lower returns on the same amount of capital isn't typically an indication that we're looking at a growth stock. However the stock has delivered a 48% return to shareholders over the last five years, so investors might be expecting the trends to turn around. Regardless, we don't feel to comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.
If you want to continue researching MIND C.T.I, you might be interested to know about the 2 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.
MIND C.T.I is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.
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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