Capital Allocation Trends At Eurocell (LON:ECEL) Aren't Ideal

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Eurocell (LON:ECEL) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

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 Eurocell is:

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

0.16 = UK£28m ÷ (UK£240m - UK£67m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

Therefore, Eurocell has an ROCE of 16%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Building industry average of 14%.

Check out our latest analysis for Eurocell

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Eurocell compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Eurocell here for free.

What Can We Tell From Eurocell's ROCE Trend?

In terms of Eurocell's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 37% over the last five years. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

What We Can Learn From Eurocell's ROCE

Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for Eurocell. However, total returns to shareholders over the last five years have been flat, which could indicate these growth trends potentially aren't accounted for yet by investors. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Eurocell and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

While Eurocell 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.