Yahoo Finance Investors Met With Slowing Returns on Capital At National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG)
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. 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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?
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. To calculate this metric for National Fuel Gas, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.093 = US$722m ÷ (US$8.6b - US$807m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
So, National Fuel Gas has an ROCE of 9.3%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Gas Utilities industry average of 6.2%.
View our latest analysis for National Fuel Gas
In the above chart we have measured National Fuel Gas' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering National Fuel Gas for free.
How Are Returns Trending?
The returns on capital haven't changed much for National Fuel Gas in recent years. The company has employed 35% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 9.3%. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.
The Key Takeaway
In conclusion, National Fuel Gas has been investing more capital into the business, but returns on that capital haven't increased. And with the stock having returned a mere 0.9% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.
One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing National Fuel Gas that you might find interesting.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.
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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.
