Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. With that in mind, the ROCE of Gentherm (NASDAQ:THRM) looks decent, right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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. To calculate this metric for Gentherm, this is the formula:

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

0.14 = US$129m ÷ (US$1.3b - US$365m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Thus, Gentherm has an ROCE of 14%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 11% generated by the Auto Components industry.

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

What Does the ROCE Trend For Gentherm Tell Us?

While the returns on capital are good, they haven't moved much. The company has consistently earned 14% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 64% in that time. 14% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Gentherm has consistently earned this amount. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

Our Take On Gentherm's ROCE

To sum it up, Gentherm has simply been reinvesting capital steadily, at those decent rates of return. Yet over the last five years the stock has declined 13%, so the decline might provide an opening. For that reason, savvy investors might want to look further into this company in case it's a prime investment.

Gentherm does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Gentherm that you might be interested in.

While Gentherm may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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.