Return Trends At CTS (NYSE:CTS) Aren't Appealing

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. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So, when we ran our eye over CTS' (NYSE:CTS) trend of ROCE, we liked what we saw.

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 CTS is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.14 = US$93m ÷ (US$756m - US$107m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, CTS has an ROCE of 14%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Electronic industry average of 13%.

View our latest analysis for CTS

roce

In the above chart we have measured CTS' 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 CTS.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

While the returns on capital are good, they haven't moved much. The company has employed 48% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 14%. 14% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that CTS has consistently earned this amount. 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.

The Bottom Line

In the end, CTS has proven its ability to adequately reinvest capital at good rates of return. In light of this, the stock has only gained 27% over the last five years for shareholders who have owned the stock in this period. So to determine if CTS is a multi-bagger going forward, we'd suggest digging deeper into the company's other fundamentals.

If you're still interested in CTS it's worth checking out our FREE intrinsic value approximation to see if it's trading at an attractive price in other respects.

While CTS isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.