Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we’ll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Coupang’s (NYSE:CPNG) returns on capital, so let’s have a look.
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. To calculate this metric for Coupang, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets – Current Liabilities)
0.082 = US$415m ÷ (US$11b – US$5.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).
Thus, Coupang has an ROCE of 8.2%. In absolute terms, that’s a low return but it’s around the Multiline Retail industry average of 10%.
View our latest analysis for Coupang roce
In the above chart we have measured Coupang’s prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you’d like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Coupang here for free.
So How Is Coupang’s ROCE Trending?
Coupang has recently broken into profitability so their prior investments seem to be paying off. The company was generating losses four years ago, but now it’s earning 8.2% which is a sight for sore eyes. And unsurprisingly, like most companies trying to break into the black, Coupang is utilizing 596% more capital than it was four years ago. This can tell us that the company has plenty of reinvestment opportunities that are able to generate higher returns.
On a related note, the company’s ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 53%, which basically reduces it’s funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. So shareholders would be pleased that the growth in returns has mostly come from underlying business performance. Nevertheless, there are some potential risks the company is bearing with current liabilities that high, so just keep that in mind.
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The Bottom Line
In summary, it’s great to see that Coupang has managed to break into profitability and is continuing to reinvest in its business. Investors may not be impressed by the favorable underlying trends yet because over the last year the stock has only returned 2.0% to shareholders. Given that, we’d look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term.
Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we’re getting for the current share price. That’s where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation that compares the share price and estimated value.
For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this freelist of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.
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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.
