Cass Information Systems (NASDAQ:CASS) Has More To Do To Multiply In Value Going Forward

Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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. However, after investigating Cass Information Systems (NASDAQ:CASS), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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 Cass Information Systems is:

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

0.045 = US$37m ÷ (US$2.4b - US$1.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

So, Cass Information Systems has an ROCE of 4.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the IT industry average of 12%.

See our latest analysis for Cass Information Systems

roce

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Cass Information Systems' ROCE against it's prior returns. If you're interested in investigating Cass Information Systems' past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Are Returns Trending?

The returns on capital haven't changed much for Cass Information Systems in recent years. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 4.5% and the business has deployed 29% more capital into its operations. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

Another thing to note, Cass Information Systems has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 67%. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, Cass Information Systems has simply been reinvesting capital and generating the same low rate of return as before. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 19% in the last five years. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

While Cass Information Systems doesn't shine too bright in this respect, it's still worth seeing if the company is trading at attractive prices. You can find that out with our FREE intrinsic value estimation on our platform.

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.