Yahoo Finance Returns At Quickstep Holdings (ASX:QHL) Are On The Way Up
To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? 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. So when we looked at Quickstep Holdings (ASX:QHL) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.
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. The formula for this calculation on Quickstep Holdings is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.11 = AU$5.7m ÷ (AU$74m - AU$22m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).
Thus, Quickstep Holdings has an ROCE of 11%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 7.6% generated by the Aerospace & Defense industry.
See our latest analysis for Quickstep Holdings
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Quickstep Holdings 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.
What Can We Tell From Quickstep Holdings' ROCE Trend?
The fact that Quickstep Holdings is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making five years ago but is is now generating 11% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 133% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. We like this trend, because it tells us the company has profitable reinvestment opportunities available to it, and if it continues going forward that can lead to a multi-bagger performance.
One more thing to note, Quickstep Holdings has decreased current liabilities to 30% of total assets over this period, which effectively reduces the amount of funding from suppliers or short-term creditors. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books.
The Bottom Line On Quickstep Holdings' ROCE
Overall, Quickstep Holdings gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 59% in the last five years. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.
Like most companies, Quickstep Holdings does come with some risks, and we've found 3 warning signs that you should be aware of.
While Quickstep Holdings 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.
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