Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So on that note, Raffles Education (SGX:NR7) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

Understanding 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Raffles Education:

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

0.017 = S$16m ÷ (S$1.1b - S$169m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Thus, Raffles Education has an ROCE of 1.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Consumer Services industry average of 9.7%.

Check out our latest analysis for Raffles Education

SGX:NR7 Return on Capital Employed January 21st 2025

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Raffles Education.

What Can We Tell From Raffles Education's ROCE Trend?

Raffles Education has broken into the black (profitability) and we're sure it's a sight for sore eyes. While the business was unprofitable in the past, it's now turned things around and is earning 1.7% on its capital. While returns have increased, the amount of capital employed by Raffles Education has remained flat over the period. So while we're happy that the business is more efficient, just keep in mind that could mean that going forward the business is lacking areas to invest internally for growth. So if you're looking for high growth, you'll want to see a business's capital employed also increasing.

The Key Takeaway

As discussed above, Raffles Education appears to be getting more proficient at generating returns since capital employed has remained flat but earnings (before interest and tax) are up. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 57% in the last five years. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.

On a final note, we found 3 warning signs for Raffles Education (1 is concerning) you should be aware of.

While Raffles Education may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.