VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Will Be Hoping To Turn Its Returns On Capital Around
To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base 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. In light of that, when we looked at VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for VSE:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.066 = US$51m ÷ (US$947m - US$177m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
Thus, VSE has an ROCE of 6.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Commercial Services industry average of 9.1%.
View our latest analysis for VSE
Above you can see how the current ROCE for VSE 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 VSE.
The Trend Of ROCE
When we looked at the ROCE trend at VSE, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 6.6% from 11% five years ago. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.
Our Take On VSE's ROCE
Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for VSE. However, despite the promising trends, the stock has fallen 37% over the last five years, so there might be an opportunity here for astute investors. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.
If you want to continue researching VSE, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.
While VSE isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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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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