What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we’ll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. This shows us that it’s a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Having said that, from a first glance at Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA) we aren’t jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let’s have a deeper look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

If you haven’t worked with ROCE before, it measures the ‘return’ (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Zebra Technologies is:

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

0.093 = US$520m ÷ (US$7.3b – US$1.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Thus, Zebra Technologies has an ROCE of 9.3%. In absolute terms, that’s a low return but it’s around the Electronic industry average of 11%.

See our latest analysis for Zebra Technologies

In the above chart we have measured Zebra Technologies’ prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you’d like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Zebra Technologies for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Zebra Technologies Tell Us?

In terms of Zebra Technologies’ historical ROCE movements, the trend isn’t fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 9.3% from 19% five years ago. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we’d be cautious. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it’s actually producing a lower return – “less bang for their buck” per se.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, we’re somewhat concerned by Zebra Technologies’ diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. Yet despite these concerning fundamentals, the stock has performed strongly with a 49% return over the last five years, so investors appear very optimistic. In any case, the current underlying trends don’t bode well for long term performance so unless they reverse, we’d start looking elsewhere.

One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we’ve spotted with Zebra Technologies (including 1 which shouldn’t be ignored) .

While Zebra Technologies 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.

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.

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