Today we'll look at Recipe Unlimited Corporation (TSE:RECP) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.
Firstly, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities affect its ROCE.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.'
So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?
The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
Or for Recipe Unlimited:
0.077 = CA$149m ÷ (CA$2.3b - CA$370m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)
So, Recipe Unlimited has an ROCE of 7.7%.
See our latest analysis for Recipe Unlimited
Is Recipe Unlimited's ROCE Good?
ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. It appears that Recipe Unlimited's ROCE is fairly close to the Hospitality industry average of 7.9%. Setting aside the industry comparison for now, Recipe Unlimited's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. It is possible that there are more rewarding investments out there.
We can see that , Recipe Unlimited currently has an ROCE of 7.7%, less than the 22% it reported 3 years ago. Therefore we wonder if the company is facing new headwinds. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Recipe Unlimited's past growth compares to other companies.
When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is only a point-in-time measure. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Recipe Unlimited.
What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect Recipe Unlimited's ROCE?
Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. Due to the way the ROCE equation works, having large bills due in the near term can make it look as though a company has less capital employed, and thus a higher ROCE than usual. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.