Yahoo Finance LBG Media's (LON:LBG) Returns On Capital Not Reflecting Well On The Business
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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating LBG Media (LON:LBG), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.
Understanding 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. The formula for this calculation on LBG Media is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.11 = UK£6.3m ÷ (UK£64m - UK£8.2m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).
So, LBG Media has an ROCE of 11%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 11%.
View our latest analysis for LBG Media
Above you can see how the current ROCE for LBG Media 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 LBG Media.
How Are Returns Trending?
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at LBG Media doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 11% from 51% 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.
On a side note, LBG Media has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 13% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. 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.
The Bottom Line
Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for LBG Media. These growth trends haven't led to growth returns though, since the stock has fallen 44% over the last year. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.
LBG Media does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for LBG Media 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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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