Could Intertek Group (LON:ITRK) Multiply In Value?
There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount 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. Ergo, when we looked at the ROCE trends at Intertek Group (LON:ITRK), we liked what we saw.
Understanding 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 Intertek Group is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.21 = UK£425m ÷ (UK£2.8b - UK£804m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).
Therefore, Intertek Group has an ROCE of 21%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 13% earned by companies in a similar industry.
View our latest analysis for Intertek Group
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Intertek 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 Intertek Group.
So How Is Intertek Group's ROCE Trending?
It's hard not to be impressed by Intertek Group's returns on capital. The company has consistently earned 21% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 31% in that time. Returns like this are the envy of most businesses and given it has repeatedly reinvested at these rates, that's even better. If Intertek Group can keep this up, we'd be very optimistic about its future.
What We Can Learn From Intertek Group's ROCE
Intertek Group has demonstrated its proficiency by generating high returns on increasing amounts of capital employed, which we're thrilled about. And long term investors would be thrilled with the 171% return they've received over the last five years. So even though the stock might be more "expensive" than it was before, we think the strong fundamentals warrant this stock for further research.
On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Intertek Group you'll probably want to know about.
If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets here.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
