Postmedia Network Canada (TSE:PNC.B) Is Doing The Right Things To Multiply Its Share Price

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Postmedia Network Canada (TSE:PNC.B) so let's look a bit deeper.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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. To calculate this metric for Postmedia Network Canada, this is the formula:

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

0.061 = CA$10m ÷ (CA$243m - CA$78m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to February 2022).

So, Postmedia Network Canada has an ROCE of 6.1%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Media industry average of 10%.

View our latest analysis for Postmedia Network Canada

roce

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Postmedia Network Canada, check out these free graphs here.

So How Is Postmedia Network Canada's ROCE Trending?

Like most people, we're pleased that Postmedia Network Canada is now generating some pretax earnings. Historically the company was generating losses but as we can see from the latest figures referenced above, they're now earning 6.1% on their capital employed. Additionally, the business is utilizing 47% less capital than it was five years ago, and taken at face value, that can mean the company needs less funds at work to get a return. The reduction could indicate that the company is selling some assets, and considering returns are up, they appear to be selling the right ones.

The Bottom Line On Postmedia Network Canada's ROCE

In a nutshell, we're pleased to see that Postmedia Network Canada has been able to generate higher returns from less capital. And a remarkable 158% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Postmedia Network Canada can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

If you'd like to know more about Postmedia Network Canada, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us.

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.