Returns At U-Haul Holding (NYSE:UHAL) Are On The Way Up

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at U-Haul Holding (NYSE:UHAL) so let's look a bit deeper.

Understanding 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 U-Haul Holding:

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

0.079 = US$1.4b ÷ (US$19b - US$1.4b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Therefore, U-Haul Holding has an ROCE of 7.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Transportation industry average of 12%.

See our latest analysis for U-Haul Holding

roce

In the above chart we have measured U-Haul Holding's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering U-Haul Holding here for free.

What Can We Tell From U-Haul Holding's ROCE Trend?

We're glad to see that ROCE is heading in the right direction, even if it is still low at the moment. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 7.9%. 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 72%. 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

All in all, it's terrific to see that U-Haul Holding is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a solid 68% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if U-Haul Holding can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

U-Haul Holding does have some risks, we noticed 2 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) we think you should know about.

While U-Haul Holding 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.

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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.