Yahoo Finance YouGov's (LON:YOU) Returns On Capital Are Heading Higher
What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at YouGov (LON:YOU) so let's look a bit deeper.
What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
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 YouGov is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.16 = UK£20m ÷ (UK£181m - UK£57m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2021).
So, YouGov has an ROCE of 16%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 9.0% generated by the Media industry.
Check out our latest analysis for YouGov
In the above chart we have measured YouGov'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 YouGov.
What Can We Tell From YouGov's ROCE Trend?
Investors would be pleased with what's happening at YouGov. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 16%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 78% more capital is being employed now too. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.
Our Take On YouGov's ROCE
To sum it up, YouGov has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And a remarkable 551% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.
YouGov does have some risks though, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for YouGov that you might be interested in.
For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high 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.
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