What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Although, when we looked at Randstad (AMS:RAND), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Randstad is:

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

0.082 = €522m ÷ (€11b - €4.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

Therefore, Randstad has an ROCE of 8.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Professional Services industry average of 17%.

View our latest analysis for Randstad ENXTAM:RAND Return on Capital Employed April 19th 2025

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Randstad 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 analyst report for Randstad .

What Does the ROCE Trend For Randstad Tell Us?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Randstad doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 8.2% from 17% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

On a separate but related note, it's important to know that Randstad has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 43%, which we'd consider pretty high. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

Our Take On Randstad's ROCE

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Randstad's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And with the stock having returned a mere 34% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.

Story Continues

On a separate note, we've found  3 warning signs for Randstad  you'll probably want to know about.

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

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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.

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