Investors Will Want Helmerich & Payne's (NYSE:HP) Growth In ROCE To Persist

Simply Wall St
·2 min read

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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. So on that note, Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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. The formula for this calculation on Helmerich & Payne is:

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

0.0039 = US$16m ÷ (US$4.4b - US$395m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

Thus, Helmerich & Payne has an ROCE of 0.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Energy Services industry average of 7.0%.

See our latest analysis for Helmerich & Payne

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roce

In the above chart we have measured Helmerich & Payne'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 Helmerich & Payne.

The Trend Of ROCE

It's great to see that Helmerich & Payne has started to generate some pre-tax earnings from prior investments. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's turned around, earning 0.4% which is no doubt a relief for some early shareholders. At first glance, it seems the business is getting more proficient at generating returns, because over the same period, the amount of capital employed has reduced by 35%. This could potentially mean that the company is selling some of its assets.

The Key Takeaway

In a nutshell, we're pleased to see that Helmerich & Payne has been able to generate higher returns from less capital. Since the stock has only returned 17% to shareholders over the last five years, the promising fundamentals may not be recognized yet by investors. So with that in mind, we think the stock deserves further research.

On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for Helmerich & Payne (1 is a bit concerning) you should be aware of.

While Helmerich & Payne 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.

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