There Are Reasons To Feel Uneasy About Renishaw's (LON:RSW) 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. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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. Although, when we looked at Renishaw (LON:RSW), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Renishaw:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.13 = UK£92m ÷ (UK£796m - UK£91m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).
So, Renishaw has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Electronic industry average of 14%.
Check out our latest analysis for Renishaw
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Renishaw compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Renishaw.
What Does the ROCE Trend For Renishaw Tell Us?
In terms of Renishaw's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 13% from 23% five years ago. However it looks like Renishaw might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.
What We Can Learn From Renishaw's ROCE
To conclude, we've found that Renishaw is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 144% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward.
On a separate note, we've found 2 warning signs for Renishaw you'll probably want to know about.
While Renishaw isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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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