Yahoo Finance There's Been No Shortage Of Growth Recently For Photronics' (NASDAQ:PLAB) Returns On Capital
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Photronics' (NASDAQ:PLAB) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
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 Photronics:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.16 = US$185m ÷ (US$1.3b - US$197m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to July 2022).
Therefore, Photronics has an ROCE of 16%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Semiconductor industry average of 15%.
See our latest analysis for Photronics
In the above chart we have measured Photronics' 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 Photronics.
The Trend Of ROCE
Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Photronics. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 16%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 24%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Photronics thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.
The Key Takeaway
A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Photronics has. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 68% return over the last five years. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.
Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation that compares the share price and estimated value.
While Photronics may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list 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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
