Yahoo Finance Be Wary Of Evergy (NYSE:EVRG) And Its Returns On Capital
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. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. However, after investigating Evergy (NYSE:EVRG), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.
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. The formula for this calculation on Evergy is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.051 = US$1.3b ÷ (US$28b - US$2.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).
Thus, Evergy has an ROCE of 5.1%. On its own that's a low return on capital but it's in line with the industry's average returns of 4.6%.
See our latest analysis for Evergy
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Evergy compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
So How Is Evergy's ROCE Trending?
We weren't thrilled with the trend because Evergy's ROCE has reduced by 21% over the last five years, while the business employed 149% more capital. That being said, Evergy raised some capital prior to their latest results being released, so that could partly explain the increase in capital employed. It's unlikely that all of the funds raised have been put to work yet, so as a consequence Evergy might not have received a full period of earnings contribution from it.
The Bottom Line
Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Evergy's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Since the stock has gained an impressive 47% 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.
Like most companies, Evergy does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.
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.
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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