Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Having said that, from a first glance at JTF International Holdings (HKG:9689) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.
What Is 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 JTF International Holdings is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.025 = CN¥11m ÷ (CN¥522m - CN¥68m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).
So, JTF International Holdings has an ROCE of 2.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Oil and Gas industry average of 6.9%.
View our latest analysis for JTF International Holdings
While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how JTF International Holdings has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of JTF International Holdings' past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
How Are Returns Trending?
In terms of JTF International Holdings' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 2.5% from 16% five years ago. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se.
The Key Takeaway
In summary, we're somewhat concerned by JTF International Holdings' diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. The market must be rosy on the stock's future because even though the underlying trends aren't too encouraging, the stock has soared 138%. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.
JTF International Holdings does come with some risks though, we found 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...
While JTF International Holdings 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.