When we're researching a company, it's sometimes hard to find the warning signs, but there are some financial metrics that can help spot trouble early. A business that's potentially in decline often shows two trends, a return on capital employed (ROCE) that's declining, and a base of capital employed that's also declining. Ultimately this means that the company is earning less per dollar invested and on top of that, it's shrinking its base of capital employed. So after glancing at the trends within SINOPEC Engineering (Group) (HKG:2386), we weren't too hopeful.

Understanding 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. To calculate this metric for SINOPEC Engineering (Group), this is the formula:

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

0.038 = CN¥1.3b ÷ (CN¥77b - CN¥45b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

So, SINOPEC Engineering (Group) has an ROCE of 3.8%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Construction industry average of 7.5%.

View our latest analysis for SINOPEC Engineering (Group)

Above you can see how the current ROCE for SINOPEC Engineering (Group) compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for SINOPEC Engineering (Group).

The Trend Of ROCE

In terms of SINOPEC Engineering (Group)'s historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. About five years ago, returns on capital were 5.2%, however they're now substantially lower than that as we saw above. And on the capital employed front, the business is utilizing roughly the same amount of capital as it was back then. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on SINOPEC Engineering (Group) becoming one if things continue as they have.

Another thing to note, SINOPEC Engineering (Group) has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 58%. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

The Bottom Line On SINOPEC Engineering (Group)'s ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that SINOPEC Engineering (Group) is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. It should come as no surprise then that the stock has fallen 17% over the last five years, so it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. That being the case, unless the underlying trends revert to a more positive trajectory, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing SINOPEC Engineering (Group) that you might find interesting.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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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.