Returns At Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED) Are On The Way Up
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out 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. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So when we looked at Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.
What is 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 Amedisys, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.19 = US$214m ÷ (US$1.6b - US$456m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).
Thus, Amedisys has an ROCE of 19%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 11% generated by the Healthcare industry.
See our latest analysis for Amedisys
In the above chart we have measured Amedisys' 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 Amedisys.
So How Is Amedisys' ROCE Trending?
Amedisys is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 19%. 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 119%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.
The Key Takeaway
A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Amedisys has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.
Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation that compares the share price and estimated value.
While Amedisys 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.
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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