Yahoo Finance Returns Are Gaining Momentum At Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC)
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. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) so let's look a bit deeper.
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 Norfolk Southern, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.13 = US$4.9b ÷ (US$39b - US$2.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).
Therefore, Norfolk Southern has an ROCE of 13%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 15% generated by the Transportation industry.
View our latest analysis for Norfolk Southern
In the above chart we have measured Norfolk Southern'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 Norfolk Southern here for free.
The Trend Of ROCE
Norfolk Southern is showing promise given that its ROCE is trending up and to the right. More specifically, while the company has kept capital employed relatively flat over the last five years, the ROCE has climbed 31% in that same time. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. The company is doing well in that sense, and it's worth investigating what the management team has planned for long term growth prospects.
The Key Takeaway
To bring it all together, Norfolk Southern has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. And a remarkable 101% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Norfolk Southern can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.
One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Norfolk Southern that you might find interesting.
While Norfolk Southern 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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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