Yahoo Finance Southern Cross Media Group (ASX:SXL) Will Be Hoping To Turn Its Returns On Capital Around
If we're looking to avoid a business that is in decline, what are the trends that can warn us ahead of time? Typically, we'll see the trend of both return on capital employed (ROCE) declining and this usually coincides with a decreasing amount of capital employed. Trends like this ultimately mean the business is reducing its investments and also earning less on what it has invested. So after glancing at the trends within Southern Cross Media Group (ASX:SXL), we weren't too hopeful.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Southern Cross Media Group is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.02 = AU$25m ÷ (AU$1.3b - AU$78m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).
Therefore, Southern Cross Media Group has an ROCE of 2.0%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Media industry average of 8.0%.
View our latest analysis for Southern Cross Media Group
In the above chart we have measured Southern Cross Media Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Southern Cross Media Group.
What Does the ROCE Trend For Southern Cross Media Group Tell Us?
In terms of Southern Cross Media Group's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. Unfortunately the returns on capital have diminished from the 9.0% that they were earning five years ago. And on the capital employed front, the business is utilizing roughly the same amount of capital as it was back then. This combination can be indicative of a mature business that still has areas to deploy capital, but the returns received aren't as high due potentially to new competition or smaller margins. If these trends continue, we wouldn't expect Southern Cross Media Group to turn into a multi-bagger.
The Bottom Line On Southern Cross Media Group's ROCE
In the end, the trend of lower returns on the same amount of capital isn't typically an indication that we're looking at a growth stock. We expect this has contributed to the stock plummeting 85% during the last five years. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.
One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing Southern Cross Media Group that you might find interesting.
While Southern Cross Media Group 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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