Yahoo Finance Slowing Rates Of Return At Sunway Berhad (KLSE:SUNWAY) Leave Little Room For Excitement
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Although, when we looked at Sunway Berhad (KLSE:SUNWAY), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.
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 Sunway Berhad, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.034 = RM666m ÷ (RM29b - RM9.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
Thus, Sunway Berhad has an ROCE of 3.4%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Industrials industry average of 6.8%.
See our latest analysis for Sunway Berhad
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Sunway Berhad compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Sunway Berhad for free.
The Trend Of ROCE
The returns on capital haven't changed much for Sunway Berhad in recent years. The company has employed 53% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 3.4%. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.
The Bottom Line On Sunway Berhad's ROCE
As we've seen above, Sunway Berhad's returns on capital haven't increased but it is reinvesting in the business. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 127% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.
One more thing: We've identified 2 warning signs with Sunway Berhad (at least 1 which is a bit unpleasant) , and understanding these would certainly be useful.
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.
