The Trend Of High Returns At YouGov (LON:YOU) Has Us Very Interested

To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, 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, the ROCE of YouGov (LON:YOU) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for YouGov:

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

0.30 = UK£46m ÷ (UK£243m - UK£88m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2023).

So, YouGov has an ROCE of 30%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Media industry average of 11%.

View our latest analysis for YouGov

roce

In the above chart we have measured YouGov'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.

So How Is YouGov's ROCE Trending?

We like the trends that we're seeing from YouGov. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 30%. 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 80%. 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 YouGov has. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 64% return over the last five years. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if YouGov can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

If you want to continue researching YouGov, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.

If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets 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.