Hume Cement Industries Berhad (KLSE:HUMEIND) Has More To Do To Multiply In Value Going Forward

If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Hume Cement Industries Berhad (KLSE:HUMEIND) 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 that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Hume Cement Industries Berhad:

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

0.038 = RM26m ÷ (RM1.3b - RM570m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

Therefore, Hume Cement Industries Berhad has an ROCE of 3.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Basic Materials industry average of 2.7%.

See our latest analysis for Hume Cement Industries Berhad

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how Hume Cement Industries Berhad has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Can We Tell From Hume Cement Industries Berhad's ROCE Trend?

Over the past five years, Hume Cement Industries Berhad's ROCE has remained relatively flat while the business is using 22% less capital than before. To us that doesn't look like a multi-bagger because the company appears to be selling assets and it's returns aren't increasing. Not only that, but the low returns on this capital mentioned earlier would leave most investors unimpressed.

Another thing to note, Hume Cement Industries Berhad has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 45%. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

The Bottom Line On Hume Cement Industries Berhad's ROCE

In summary, Hume Cement Industries Berhad isn't reinvesting funds back into the business and returns aren't growing. Since the stock has declined 55% over the last five years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

Hume Cement Industries Berhad does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Hume Cement Industries Berhad that you might be interested in.

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.

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.

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