Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount 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. Having said that, from a first glance at Bertrandt (ETR:BDT) 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)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Bertrandt, this is the formula:

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

0.052 = €39m ÷ (€917m - €173m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

So, Bertrandt has an ROCE of 5.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Professional Services industry average of 7.7%.

View our latest analysis for Bertrandt

In the above chart we have measured Bertrandt's 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 Bertrandt here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Bertrandt, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 9.9%, but since then they've fallen to 5.2%. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

The Bottom Line On Bertrandt's ROCE

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that Bertrandt is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. And there could be an opportunity here if other metrics look good too, because the stock has declined 40% in the last five years. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Bertrandt you'll probably want to know about.

While Bertrandt isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.

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