Magni-Tech Industries Berhad (KLSE:MAGNI) Could Be Struggling To Allocate Capital

Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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 Magni-Tech Industries Berhad (KLSE:MAGNI) 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Magni-Tech Industries Berhad:

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

0.12 = RM90m ÷ (RM887m - RM106m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to July 2022).

Therefore, Magni-Tech Industries Berhad has an ROCE of 12%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 6.5% generated by the Luxury industry.

View our latest analysis for Magni-Tech Industries Berhad

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Magni-Tech Industries Berhad compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Magni-Tech Industries Berhad doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 12% from 30% five years ago. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. 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.

The Bottom Line

We're a bit apprehensive about Magni-Tech Industries Berhad because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 7.6% in the last five years. Regardless, we don't like the trends as they are and if they persist, we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

Magni-Tech Industries Berhad does come with some risks though, we found 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

While Magni-Tech Industries Berhad 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.

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