Has CEVA (NASDAQ:CEVA) Got What It Takes To Become A Multi-Bagger?

Simply Wall St
·3 min read

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount 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. However, after investigating CEVA (NASDAQ:CEVA), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for CEVA:

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

0.0018 = US$481k ÷ (US$296m - US$25m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).

Thus, CEVA has an ROCE of 0.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Semiconductor industry average of 9.7%.

Check out our latest analysis for CEVA

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Above you can see how the current ROCE for CEVA compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for CEVA.

The Trend Of ROCE

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at CEVA doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 1.3%, but since then they've fallen to 0.2%. 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. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that CEVA 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 106% 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.

Like most companies, CEVA does come with some risks, and we've found 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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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