Yahoo Finance Returns On Capital At Stantec (TSE:STN) Have Stalled
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. 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. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Although, when we looked at Stantec (TSE:STN), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
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 Stantec, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.08 = CA$325m ÷ (CA$5.2b - CA$1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).
So, Stantec has an ROCE of 8.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Professional Services industry average of 13%.
Check out our latest analysis for Stantec
In the above chart we have measured Stantec's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Stantec.
What Can We Tell From Stantec's ROCE Trend?
There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Stantec. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 8.0% and the business has deployed 32% 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.
The Bottom Line
Long story short, while Stantec has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. Since the stock has gained an impressive 85% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.
Stantec does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Stantec 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.
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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.
