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Today we'll look at Tips Industries Limited (NSE:TIPSINDLTD) 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.
First, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.
What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Overall, it is a valuable metric that has its flaws. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.'
How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?
Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
Or for Tips Industries:
0.11 = ₹95m ÷ (₹947m - ₹119m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)
So, Tips Industries has an ROCE of 11%.
View our latest analysis for Tips Industries
Is Tips Industries's ROCE Good?
ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. Tips Industries's ROCE appears to be substantially greater than the 2.1% average in the Entertainment industry. I think that's good to see, since it implies the company is better than other companies at making the most of its capital. Separate from how Tips Industries stacks up against its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is mediocre; relative to the returns on government bonds. It is possible that there are more rewarding investments out there.
You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Tips Industries's past growth compares to other companies.
When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. How cyclical is Tips Industries? You can see for yourself by looking at this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
How Tips Industries's Current Liabilities Impact Its ROCE
Liabilities, such as supplier bills and bank overdrafts, are referred to as current liabilities if they need to be paid within 12 months. 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.