Yahoo Finance Capital Allocation Trends At Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Aren't Ideal
What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. Having said that, while the ROCE is currently high for Hershey (NYSE:HSY), we aren't jumping out of our chairs because returns are decreasing.
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Hershey:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.27 = US$2.2b ÷ (US$11b - US$2.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to April 2022).
Therefore, Hershey has an ROCE of 27%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 10% earned by companies in a similar industry.
See our latest analysis for Hershey
In the above chart we have measured Hershey'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.
The Trend Of ROCE
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Hershey doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, while the ROCE is still high, it's fallen from 39% where it was five years ago. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.
In Conclusion...
In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that Hershey is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. Furthermore the stock has climbed 100% over the last five years, it would appear that investors are upbeat about the future. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we would look further into this stock to make sure the other metrics justify the positive view.
Hershey does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Hershey that you might be interested in.
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.
