Yahoo Finance Returns On Capital At IG Design Group (LON:IGR) Paint A Concerning Picture
There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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 IG Design Group (LON:IGR) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.
What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for IG Design Group:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.05 = US$22m ÷ (US$763m - US$334m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).
Therefore, IG Design Group has an ROCE of 5.0%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Consumer Durables industry average of 10%.
See our latest analysis for IG Design Group
In the above chart we have measured IG Design Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
What Does the ROCE Trend For IG Design Group Tell Us?
In terms of IG Design Group's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 5.0% from 15% five years ago. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.
On a side note, IG Design Group has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 44% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money. Either way, they're still at a pretty high level, so we'd like to see them fall further if possible.
The Bottom Line
In summary, we're somewhat concerned by IG Design Group's diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. We expect this has contributed to the stock plummeting 77% during the last five years. Unless there is a shift to a more positive trajectory in these metrics, we would look elsewhere.
One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing IG Design Group that you might find interesting.
While IG Design Group 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.
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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.
