In This Article:
Today we'll evaluate King Fook Holdings Limited (HKG:280) 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.
First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. And finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities are impacting its ROCE.
What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?
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. 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.
So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?
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 King Fook Holdings:
0.00074 = HK$471k ÷ (HK$688m - HK$54m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)
Therefore, King Fook Holdings has an ROCE of 0.07%.
See our latest analysis for King Fook Holdings
Is King Fook Holdings's ROCE Good?
ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. In this analysis, King Fook Holdings's ROCE appears meaningfully below the 12% average reported by the Specialty Retail industry. This could be seen as a negative, as it suggests some competitors may be employing their capital more efficiently. Independently of how King Fook Holdings compares to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is low; especially compared to the ~2.0% available in government bonds. There are potentially more appealing investments elsewhere.
King Fook Holdings delivered an ROCE of 0.07%, which is better than 3 years ago, as was making losses back then. That implies the business has been improving. The image below shows how King Fook Holdings'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 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. You can check if King Fook Holdings has cyclical profits by looking at this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.