Advertisement
Singapore markets closed
  • Straits Times Index

    3,297.55
    -26.98 (-0.81%)
     
  • Nikkei

    38,814.56
    +94.09 (+0.24%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    17,941.78
    -170.85 (-0.94%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    8,146.86
    -16.81 (-0.21%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    66,208.95
    +225.73 (+0.34%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,406.76
    -11.12 (-0.78%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,431.60
    -2.14 (-0.04%)
     
  • Dow

    38,589.16
    -57.94 (-0.15%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    17,688.88
    +21.32 (+0.12%)
     
  • Gold

    2,348.40
    +30.40 (+1.31%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    78.49
    -0.13 (-0.17%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2130
    -0.0250 (-0.59%)
     
  • FTSE Bursa Malaysia

    1,607.32
    -2.85 (-0.18%)
     
  • Jakarta Composite Index

    6,734.83
    -96.73 (-1.42%)
     
  • PSE Index

    6,383.70
    -7.13 (-0.11%)
     

Returns On Capital Are Showing Encouraging Signs At Danaos (NYSE:DAC)

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. 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. So on that note, Danaos (NYSE:DAC) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

Understanding 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 Danaos:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.17 = US$578m ÷ (US$3.7b - US$168m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

ADVERTISEMENT

Thus, Danaos has an ROCE of 17%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Shipping industry average of 8.2% it's much better.

Check out our latest analysis for Danaos

roce
roce

In the above chart we have measured Danaos' 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 Danaos for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

The trends we've noticed at Danaos are quite reassuring. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 17%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 42%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

In Conclusion...

All in all, it's terrific to see that Danaos is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And a remarkable 683% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Danaos (of which 1 is concerning!) that you should know about.

While Danaos 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.