money What Do The Returns On Capital At Advanced Medical Solutions Group (LON:AMS) Tell Us?
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing 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. Having said that, from a first glance at Advanced Medical Solutions Group (LON:AMS) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Advanced Medical Solutions Group is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.12 = UK£25m ÷ (UK£227m - UK£17m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019).
Thus, Advanced Medical Solutions Group has an ROCE of 12%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 11% generated by the Medical Equipment industry.
See our latest analysis for Advanced Medical Solutions Group
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Advanced Medical Solutions Group 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 Advanced Medical Solutions Group.
How Are Returns Trending?
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Advanced Medical Solutions Group doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 12% from 16% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.
In Conclusion...
To conclude, we've found that Advanced Medical Solutions Group is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 35% to shareholders over the last five years. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.
On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for Advanced Medical Solutions Group that we think you should be aware of.
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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