Vistar Holdings Limited (HKG:8535) Earns A Nice Return On Capital Employed
Today we are going to look at Vistar Holdings Limited (HKG:8535) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires.
Firstly, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities affect its ROCE.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
ROCE measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Overall, it is a valuable metric that has its flaws. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'.
How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?
The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
Or for Vistar Holdings:
0.26 = HK$28m ÷ (HK$190m - HK$82m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)
So, Vistar Holdings has an ROCE of 26%.
See our latest analysis for Vistar Holdings
Does Vistar Holdings Have A Good ROCE?
ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. Using our data, we find that Vistar Holdings's ROCE is meaningfully better than the 13% average in the Construction industry. I think that's good to see, since it implies the company is better than other companies at making the most of its capital. Setting aside the comparison to its industry for a moment, Vistar Holdings's ROCE in absolute terms currently looks quite high.
Vistar Holdings's current ROCE of 26% is lower than 3 years ago, when the company reported a 36% ROCE. So investors might consider if it has had issues recently. The image below shows how Vistar Holdings's ROCE compares to its industry, and you can click it to see more detail on its past growth.
When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. If Vistar Holdings is cyclical, it could make sense to check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
How Vistar Holdings's Current Liabilities Impact Its ROCE
Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.
Vistar Holdings has total assets of HK$190m and current liabilities of HK$82m. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 43% of its total assets. A medium level of current liabilities boosts Vistar Holdings's ROCE somewhat.
Our Take On Vistar Holdings's ROCE
Even so, it has a great ROCE, and could be an attractive prospect for further research. Vistar Holdings shapes up well under this analysis, but it is far from the only business delivering excellent numbers . You might also want to check this free collection of companies delivering excellent earnings growth.
I will like Vistar Holdings better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
