Today we'll evaluate 99 Wuxian Limited (ASX:NNW) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. In particular, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that can give us insight into how profitably the company is able to employ capital in its business.

Firstly, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Then we'll compare its ROCE to similar companies. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE.

Understanding 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. Generally speaking a higher ROCE is better. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. 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 99 Wuxian:

0.077 = CN¥26m ÷ (CN¥807m - CN¥473m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)

So, 99 Wuxian has an ROCE of 7.7%.

View our latest analysis for 99 Wuxian

Does 99 Wuxian Have A Good ROCE?

ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. Using our data, 99 Wuxian's ROCE appears to be significantly below the 9.9% average in the Online Retail industry. This could be seen as a negative, as it suggests some competitors may be employing their capital more efficiently. Setting aside the industry comparison for now, 99 Wuxian's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Readers may find more attractive investment prospects elsewhere.

We can see that, 99 Wuxian currently has an ROCE of 7.7% compared to its ROCE 3 years ago, which was 4.5%. This makes us think about whether the company has been reinvesting shrewdly. The image below shows how 99 Wuxian's ROCE compares to its industry, and you can click it to see more detail on its past growth.

When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. You can check if 99 Wuxian has cyclical profits by looking at this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.