What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at LiveRamp Holdings (NYSE:RAMP) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. The formula for this calculation on LiveRamp Holdings is:

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

0.025 = US$25m ÷ (US$1.2b - US$217m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Therefore, LiveRamp Holdings has an ROCE of 2.5%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Software industry average of 7.2%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for LiveRamp Holdings compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for LiveRamp Holdings .

The Trend Of ROCE

We're delighted to see that LiveRamp Holdings is reaping rewards from its investments and has now broken into profitability. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's turned around, earning 2.5% which is no doubt a relief for some early shareholders. Additionally, the business is utilizing 26% less capital than it was five years ago, and taken at face value, that can mean the company needs less funds at work to get a return. LiveRamp Holdings could be selling under-performing assets since the ROCE is improving.

On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. The current liabilities has increased to 18% of total assets, so the business is now more funded by the likes of its suppliers or short-term creditors. It's worth keeping an eye on this because as the percentage of current liabilities to total assets increases, some aspects of risk also increase.

The Key Takeaway

In the end, LiveRamp Holdings has proven it's capital allocation skills are good with those higher returns from less amount of capital. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 43% in the last five years. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing LiveRamp Holdings, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

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.

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