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If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it’s a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad (KLSE:TRIMODE), we don’t think it’s current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.
What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
Just to clarify if you’re unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets – Current Liabilities)
0.051 = RM6.7m ÷ (RM151m – RM18m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).
So, Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad has an ROCE of 5.1%. On its own that’s a low return, but compared to the average of 3.6% generated by the Logistics industry, it’s much better.
View our latest analysis for Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad
Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad’s ROCE against it’s prior returns. If you’re interested in investigating Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad’s past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
In terms of Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad’s historical ROCE movements, the trend isn’t fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 15% over the last five years. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn’t moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.
On a related note, Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad has decreased its current liabilities to 12% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Some would claim this reduces the business’ efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.
Our Take On Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad’s ROCE
In summary, Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven’t increased much just yet. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 14% so the market doesn’t look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. All in all, the inherent trends aren’t typical of multi-baggers, so if that’s what you’re after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.
One more thing, we’ve spotted 2 warning signs facing Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad that you might find interesting.
While Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad 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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