Yahoo Finance Should We Be Excited About The Trends Of Returns At Antofagasta (LON:ANTO)?
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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 briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Antofagasta:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.079 = US$1.0b ÷ (US$15b - US$1.5b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).
Therefore, Antofagasta has an ROCE of 7.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Metals and Mining industry average of 12%.
See our latest analysis for Antofagasta
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Antofagasta 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 Antofagasta here for free.
What Can We Tell From Antofagasta's ROCE Trend?
There hasn't been much to report for Antofagasta's returns and its level of capital employed because both metrics have been steady for the past five years. Businesses with these traits tend to be mature and steady operations because they're past the growth phase. So don't be surprised if Antofagasta doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time. With fewer investment opportunities, it makes sense that Antofagasta has been paying out a decent 48% of its earnings to shareholders. Unless businesses have highly compelling growth opportunities, they'll typically return some money to shareholders.
The Key Takeaway
We can conclude that in regards to Antofagasta's returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 183% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.
On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Antofagasta you'll probably want to know about.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
