SPAR Group's (NASDAQ:SGRP) Returns On Capital Are Heading Higher
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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So on that note, SPAR Group (NASDAQ:SGRP) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
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. The formula for this calculation on SPAR Group is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.18 = US$7.5m ÷ (US$104m - US$62m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).
Thus, SPAR Group has an ROCE of 18%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Media industry average of 8.9% it's much better.
Check out our latest analysis for SPAR Group
In the above chart we have measured SPAR Group'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 SPAR Group here for free.
The Trend Of ROCE
SPAR Group is displaying some positive trends. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 18%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 68% more capital is being employed now too. 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.
On a side note, SPAR Group's current liabilities are still rather high at 59% of total assets. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.
Our Take On SPAR Group's ROCE
All in all, it's terrific to see that SPAR Group is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Investors may not be impressed by the favorable underlying trends yet because over the last five years the stock has only returned 4.8% to shareholders. Given that, we'd look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term.
One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing SPAR Group that you might find interesting.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.
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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.
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