Yahoo Finance Questerre Energy (TSE:QEC) Shareholders Will Want The ROCE Trajectory To Continue
If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Questerre Energy's (TSE:QEC) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Questerre Energy, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.014 = CA$2.5m ÷ (CA$194m - CA$17m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).
Therefore, Questerre Energy has an ROCE of 1.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Oil and Gas industry average of 5.5%.
See our latest analysis for Questerre Energy
In the above chart we have measured Questerre Energy'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
The fact that Questerre Energy is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's earning 1.4% which is a sight for sore eyes. In addition to that, Questerre Energy is employing 32% more capital than previously which is expected of a company that's trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.
The Bottom Line
Long story short, we're delighted to see that Questerre Energy's reinvestment activities have paid off and the company is now profitable. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 13% in the last five years. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation.
One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Questerre Energy that you might find interesting.
For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.
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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