What financial metrics can indicate to us that a company is maturing or even 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. 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. Having said that, after a brief look, Genesco (NYSE:GCO) we aren't filled with optimism, but let's investigate further.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. To calculate this metric for Genesco, this is the formula:

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

0.039 = US$44m ÷ (US$1.5b - US$383m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to July 2023).

So, Genesco has an ROCE of 3.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Specialty Retail industry average of 12%.

View our latest analysis for Genesco

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Genesco compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Genesco here for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

There is reason to be cautious about Genesco, given the returns are trending downwards. About five years ago, returns on capital were 8.3%, however they're now substantially lower than that as we saw above. Meanwhile, capital employed in the business has stayed roughly the flat over the period. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. If these trends continue, we wouldn't expect Genesco to turn into a multi-bagger.

What We Can Learn From Genesco's ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that Genesco is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Long term shareholders who've owned the stock over the last five years have experienced a 13% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. Unless there is a shift to a more positive trajectory in these metrics, we would look elsewhere.

One more thing to note, we've identified 2 warning signs with Genesco and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

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.