When we're researching a company, it's sometimes hard to find the warning signs, but there are some financial metrics that can help spot trouble early. More often than not, we'll see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining amount of capital employed. Basically the company is earning less on its investments and it is also reducing its total assets. Having said that, after a brief look, Tutor Perini (NYSE:TPC) we aren't filled with optimism, but let's investigate further.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Tutor Perini:

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

0.0077 = US$18m ÷ (US$4.4b - US$2.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Therefore, Tutor Perini has an ROCE of 0.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Construction industry average of 12%.

See our latest analysis for Tutor Perini

In the above chart we have measured Tutor Perini's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Tutor Perini for free.

What Can We Tell From Tutor Perini's ROCE Trend?

We are a bit anxious about the trends of ROCE at Tutor Perini. The company used to generate 7.3% on its capital five years ago but it has since fallen noticeably. What's equally concerning is that the amount of capital deployed in the business has shrunk by 22% over that same period. The fact that both are shrinking is an indication that the business is going through some tough times. If these underlying trends continue, we wouldn't be too optimistic going forward.

While on the subject, we noticed that the ratio of current liabilities to total assets has risen to 47%, which has impacted the ROCE. Without this increase, it's likely that ROCE would be even lower than 0.8%. What this means is that in reality, a rather large portion of the business is being funded by the likes of the company's suppliers or short-term creditors, which can bring some risks of its own.

The Bottom Line

To see Tutor Perini reducing the capital employed in the business in tandem with diminishing returns, is concerning. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 9.9% in the last five years. Regardless, we don't like the trends as they are and if they persist, we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

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

While Tutor Perini 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.