Yahoo Finance Capital Allocation Trends At Daqo New Energy (NYSE:DQ) Aren't Ideal
There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base 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. However, after investigating Daqo New Energy (NYSE:DQ), 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 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Daqo New Energy:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.054 = US$350m ÷ (US$7.2b - US$720m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).
So, Daqo New Energy has an ROCE of 5.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Semiconductor industry average of 9.7%.
See our latest analysis for Daqo New Energy
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Daqo New Energy 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 Daqo New Energy for free.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
When we looked at the ROCE trend at Daqo New Energy, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 6.9%, but since then they've fallen to 5.4%. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.
The Key Takeaway
In summary, we're somewhat concerned by Daqo New Energy's diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. Since the stock has skyrocketed 141% over the last five years, it looks like investors have high expectations of the stock. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.
On a separate note, we've found 2 warning signs for Daqo New Energy you'll probably want to know about.
While Daqo New Energy isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.
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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.
