What financial metrics can indicate to us that a company is maturing or even in decline? Businesses in decline often have two underlying trends, firstly, a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining base of capital employed. Basically the company is earning less on its investments and it is also reducing its total assets. So after glancing at the trends within JoyoungLtd (SZSE:002242), we weren't too hopeful.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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 JoyoungLtd, this is the formula:

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

0.086 = CN¥304m ÷ (CN¥7.1b - CN¥3.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Therefore, JoyoungLtd has an ROCE of 8.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Consumer Durables industry average of 7.9%.

Check out our latest analysis for JoyoungLtd

Above you can see how the current ROCE for JoyoungLtd 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 JoyoungLtd.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

We are a bit worried about the trend of returns on capital at JoyoungLtd. About five years ago, returns on capital were 15%, however they're now substantially lower than that as we saw above. On top of that, it's worth noting that the amount of capital employed within the business has remained relatively steady. 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 JoyoungLtd becoming one if things continue as they have.

On a side note, JoyoungLtd's current liabilities have increased over the last five years to 50% of total assets, effectively distorting the ROCE to some degree. If current liabilities hadn't increased as much as they did, the ROCE could actually be even lower. And with current liabilities at these levels, suppliers or short-term creditors are effectively funding a large part of the business, which can introduce some risks.

The Bottom Line On JoyoungLtd's ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that JoyoungLtd 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 21% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing JoyoungLtd that you might find interesting.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.