When researching a stock for investment, what can tell us that the company is in decline? When we see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) in conjunction with a declining base of capital employed, that's often how a mature business shows signs of aging. This combination can tell you that not only is the company investing less, it's earning less on what it does invest. In light of that, from a first glance at Kingboard Holdings (HKG:148), we've spotted some signs that it could be struggling, so let's investigate.

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 Kingboard Holdings, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.061 = HK$4.9b ÷ (HK$100b - HK$20b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Thus, Kingboard Holdings has an ROCE of 6.1%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 7.2% average generated by the Electronic industry.

View our latest analysis for Kingboard Holdings

In the above chart we have measured Kingboard Holdings' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Kingboard Holdings .

How Are Returns Trending?

We are a bit worried about the trend of returns on capital at Kingboard Holdings. To be more specific, the ROCE was 7.9% five years ago, but since then it has dropped noticeably. On top of that, it's worth noting that the amount of capital employed within the business has remained relatively steady. This combination can be indicative of a mature business that still has areas to deploy capital, but the returns received aren't as high due potentially to new competition or smaller margins. If these trends continue, we wouldn't expect Kingboard Holdings to turn into a multi-bagger.

What We Can Learn From Kingboard Holdings' ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that Kingboard Holdings is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 9.5% in the last five years. Regardless, we don't like the trends as they are and if they persist, we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

Kingboard Holdings does have some risks, we noticed 2 warning signs (and 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) we think you should know about.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.