Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (NASDAQ:GLDD) Might Have The Makings Of A Multi-Bagger

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Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. So on that note, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (NASDAQ:GLDD) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock:

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

0.14 = US$108m ÷ (US$958m - US$176m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2020).

Therefore, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has an ROCE of 14%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 9.7% generated by the Construction industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock

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In the above chart we have measured Great Lakes Dredge & Dock's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock's ROCE growth is quite impressive. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 434% over the last five years. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

Our Take On Great Lakes Dredge & Dock's ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

One more thing to note, we've identified 2 warning signs with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

While Great Lakes Dredge & Dock isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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