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Investors Could Be Concerned With Paycom Software's (NYSE:PAYC) Returns On Capital

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Having said that, while the ROCE is currently high for Paycom Software (NYSE:PAYC), we aren't jumping out of our chairs because returns are decreasing.

What Is 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. To calculate this metric for Paycom Software, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.23 = US$311m ÷ (US$4.9b - US$3.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022).

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Therefore, Paycom Software has an ROCE of 23%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 10% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Paycom Software

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roce

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Paycom Software compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

So How Is Paycom Software's ROCE Trending?

In terms of Paycom Software's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. While it's comforting that the ROCE is high, five years ago it was 39%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

Another thing to note, Paycom Software has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 73%. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

What We Can Learn From Paycom Software's ROCE

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that Paycom Software is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. And long term investors must be optimistic going forward because the stock has returned a huge 407% to shareholders in the last five years. So while the underlying trends could already be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Paycom Software, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets 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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