If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after investigating Telecom Digital Holdings (HKG:6033), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Telecom Digital Holdings:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.15 = HK$79m ÷ (HK$1.3b - HK$785m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).
So, Telecom Digital Holdings has an ROCE of 15%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Specialty Retail industry average of 10% it's much better.
See our latest analysis for Telecom Digital Holdings
Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Telecom Digital Holdings' ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Telecom Digital Holdings.
The Trend Of ROCE
When we looked at the ROCE trend at Telecom Digital Holdings, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 40% over the last five years. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.
While on the subject, we noticed that the ratio of current liabilities to total assets has risen to 60%, which has impacted the ROCE. Without this increase, it's likely that ROCE would be even lower than 15%. What this means is that in reality, a rather large portion of the business is being funded by the likes of the company's suppliers or short-term creditors, which can bring some risks of its own.
The Key Takeaway
To conclude, we've found that Telecom Digital Holdings is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 67% in the last five years. On the whole, we aren't too inspired by the underlying trends and we think there may be better chances of finding a multi-bagger elsewhere.
If you'd like to know more about Telecom Digital Holdings, we've spotted 4 warning signs, and 2 of them can't be ignored.
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.
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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.