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. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in GLOBALFOUNDRIES' (NASDAQ:GFS) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on GLOBALFOUNDRIES is:

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

0.067 = US$1.1b ÷ (US$18b - US$2.9b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

So, GLOBALFOUNDRIES has an ROCE of 6.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Semiconductor industry average of 9.7%.

In the above chart we have measured GLOBALFOUNDRIES' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for GLOBALFOUNDRIES .

What Can We Tell From GLOBALFOUNDRIES' ROCE Trend?

GLOBALFOUNDRIES has recently broken into profitability so their prior investments seem to be paying off. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making four years ago but is is now generating 6.7% on its capital. And unsurprisingly, like most companies trying to break into the black, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is utilizing 33% more capital than it was four years ago. We like this trend, because it tells us the company has profitable reinvestment opportunities available to it, and if it continues going forward that can lead to a multi-bagger performance.

The Bottom Line On GLOBALFOUNDRIES' ROCE

To the delight of most shareholders, GLOBALFOUNDRIES has now broken into profitability. Since the total return from the stock has been almost flat over the last year, there might be an opportunity here if the valuation looks good. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing GLOBALFOUNDRIES, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While GLOBALFOUNDRIES 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.