VIZIO Holding (NYSE:VZIO) Will Be Hoping To Turn Its Returns On Capital Around
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Having said that, from a first glance at VIZIO Holding (NYSE:VZIO) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on VIZIO Holding is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.04 = US$16m ÷ (US$842m - US$441m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).
Thus, VIZIO Holding has an ROCE of 4.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Consumer Durables industry average of 17%.
See our latest analysis for VIZIO Holding
Above you can see how the current ROCE for VIZIO Holding compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for VIZIO Holding.
The Trend Of ROCE
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at VIZIO Holding doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 14%, but since then they've fallen to 4.0%. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se.
On a side note, VIZIO Holding has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 52% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE. Keep in mind 52% is still pretty high, so those risks are still somewhat prevalent.
The Key Takeaway
From the above analysis, we find it rather worrisome that returns on capital and sales for VIZIO Holding have fallen, meanwhile the business is employing more capital than it was five years ago. Long term shareholders who've owned the stock over the last year have experienced a 25% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.
VIZIO Holding does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for VIZIO Holding that you might be interested in.
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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