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Today we'll evaluate Secoo Holding Limited (NASDAQ:SECO) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.
First up, we'll look at what ROCE is and how we calculate it. Then we'll compare its ROCE to similar companies. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.
Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?
ROCE measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed 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.'
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 Secoo Holding:
0.082 = CN¥219m ÷ (CN¥3.8b - CN¥1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)
So, Secoo Holding has an ROCE of 8.2%.
View our latest analysis for Secoo Holding
Is Secoo Holding's ROCE Good?
ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. We can see Secoo Holding's ROCE is around the 9.9% average reported by the Online Retail industry. Aside from the industry comparison, Secoo Holding's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Investors may wish to consider higher-performing investments.
Secoo Holding delivered an ROCE of 8.2%, which is better than 3 years ago, as was making losses back then. That implies the business has been improving.
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. What happens in the future is pretty important for investors, so we have prepared a free report on analyst forecasts for Secoo Holding.
What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect Secoo Holding's ROCE?
Short term (or current) liabilities, are things like supplier invoices, overdrafts, or tax bills that need to be paid within 12 months. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To check the impact of this, we calculate if a company has high current liabilities relative to its total assets.