Yahoo Finance Returns At VOXX International (NASDAQ:VOXX) Are On The Way Up
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in VOXX International's (NASDAQ:VOXX) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on VOXX International is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.034 = US$13m ÷ (US$603m - US$221m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to November 2021).
So, VOXX International has an ROCE of 3.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Consumer Durables industry average of 15%.
View our latest analysis for VOXX International
In the above chart we have measured VOXX International's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering VOXX International here for free.
What Can We Tell From VOXX International's ROCE Trend?
Like most people, we're pleased that VOXX International is now generating some pretax earnings. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's turned around, earning 3.4% which is no doubt a relief for some early shareholders. At first glance, it seems the business is getting more proficient at generating returns, because over the same period, the amount of capital employed has reduced by 30%. VOXX International could be selling under-performing assets since the ROCE is improving.
On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. Effectively this means that suppliers or short-term creditors are now funding 37% of the business, which is more than it was five years ago. It's worth keeping an eye on this because as the percentage of current liabilities to total assets increases, some aspects of risk also increase.
The Key Takeaway
In a nutshell, we're pleased to see that VOXX International has been able to generate higher returns from less capital. Since the stock has returned a staggering 110% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if VOXX International can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.
VOXX International does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for VOXX International that you might be interested in.
While VOXX International may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.
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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.
