The Return Trends At Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Look Promising
If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) so let's look a bit deeper.
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Netflix:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.14 = US$5.7b ÷ (US$48b - US$7.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).
So, Netflix has an ROCE of 14%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Entertainment industry average of 5.1% it's much better.
Check out our latest analysis for Netflix
In the above chart we have measured Netflix's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
The Trend Of ROCE
We like the trends that we're seeing from Netflix. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 14%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 241%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.
In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 16%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books.
The Bottom Line
To sum it up, Netflix has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Since the stock has returned a solid 46% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.
While Netflix looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether NFLX is currently trading for a fair price.
While Netflix isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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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