Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)

In This Article

• What is the definition of return on capital employed (ROCE)?
• What is the formula for return on capital employed (ROCE)?
• How should the return on capital employed (ROCE) be interpreted?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages to return on capital employed (ROCE)?

How to Calculate ROCE

ROCE, shorthand for “Return on Capital Employed,” is a profitability ratio comparing a profit metric to the amount of capital employed.

ROCE answers the question, “How much in profits does the company generate for each dollar in capital employed?”

Given a ROCE of 10%, the interpretation is that the company generates $1.00 of profits for each $10.00 in capital employed.

ROCE can be a useful proxy for operational efficiency, particularly for capital-intensive industries.

• Telecom and Communications
• Oil & Gas
• Industrials and Transportation
• Manufacturing

ROCE Formula

The calculation of ROCE is a two-step process, starting with the calculation of net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT).

NOPAT, also known as “EBIAT” (i.e. earnings before interest after taxes), is the numerator, which is subsequently divided by capital employed.

• NOPAT = EBIT × (1 – Tax Rate %)

The denominator, capital employed, is equal to the sum of shareholders’ equity and long-term debts.

• Capital Employed = Total Assets – Current Liabilities

More specifically, all the assets sitting on a company’s balance sheet – i.e. the resources with positive economic value – were originally funded somehow, either using equity or debt (i.e. the accounting equation).

If we deduct current liabilities, we are removing the non-financing liabilities from total assets (e.g. accounts payable, accrued expenses, deferred revenue).

That said, the capital employed encompasses shareholders’ equity, as well as non-current liabilities, namely long-term debt.

• Capital Employed = Shareholders’ Equity + Non-Current Liabilities

ROCE Formula

The formula for calculating ROCE is shown below.

• Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) = NOPAT ÷ Capital Employed

Interpreting Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)

Generally speaking, the higher a company’s ROCE is, the better off the company likely is with regard to generating long-term profits.

• Higher ROCE implies the capital employment strategies of a company are more efficient.
• Lower ROCE can be a sign that the company could potentially be spending funds unproductively (i.e. there is substantial “waste” in capital allocation).

Often, ROCE is compared to the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) – i.e. the required rate of return and hurdle rate – to determine which projects/investments to accept or reject.

• If ROCE > WACC = Accept
• If ROCE < WACC = Reject

The average ROCE will vary by industry, so comparisons must be done among peer groups comprised of similar companies to determine whether a given company’s ROCE is “good” or “bad”.

The current ROCE of a company can also be viewed in relation to that of its historical periods to assess the consistency at which capital is efficiently deployed.

Stability in maintaining a high ROCE year after year can build the case that a company possesses an economic moat and can achieve excess returns on capital over the long run.

ROCE vs. ROIC

ROCE and return on invested capital (ROIC) are two closely related measures of profitability.

ROIC represents the percentage return earned by a company, accounting for the amount of capital invested by equity and debt providers.

Both ROCE and ROIC determine the efficiency at which the capital on hand is allocated by a company.

• ROCE = NOPAT ÷ Average Capital Employed
• ROIC = NOPAT ÷ Average Invested Capital

Consistent ROCE and ROIC metrics are likely to be perceived positively as the company appears to be spending its capital efficiently.

The distinction between ROCE and ROCE is in the denominator – i.e. capital employed vs invested capital.

• Capital Employed = Total Assets – Current Liabilities
• Invested Capital = PP&E + Net Working Capital (NWC)

For ROCE, capital employed captures the total amount of debt financing and equity available to fund operations and purchase assets.

On the other hand, ROIC uses invested capital – which is equal to fixed assets (i.e. property, plant & equipment, or “PP&E”) plus net working capital (NWC).

ROCE Calculator – Excel Template

We’ll now move to a modeling exercise, which you can access by filling out the form below.

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Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Example Calculation

In our illustrative scenario, we will be using the following assumptions.

Model Assumptions

Year 1 Financials

• EBIT = $20 million
• Total Assets = $150 million
• Current Liabilities = $40 million

Year 2 Financials

• EBIT = $25 million
• Total Assets = $165 million
• Current Liabilities = $45 million

Assuming that the tax rate for both periods is 30%, NOPAT can be calculated by multiplying EBIT by one minus the tax rate assumption.

• Year 1 = $20 million × (1 – 30%) = $14 million
• Year 2 = $25 million × (1 – 30%) = $18 million

The next step is to calculate the capital employed, which is equal to total assets minus current liabilities.

• Year 1 = $150 million – $40 million = $110 million
• Year 2 = $165 million – $45 million = $120 million

From Year 1 to Year 2, NOPAT grew from $14 million to $18 million, while the capital employed rose from $110 million to $120 million under the same time frame.

If we input those figures into the ROCE formula, the ROCE of this example company comes out to 15.2%.

• ROCE = $18 million ÷ ($110 million + $120 million ÷ 2)
• ROCE = 15.2%

The 15.2% ROCE means that we can estimate that for each $10 of capital employed, $1.52 is returned as profits – which can be compared to the ROCEs of industry peers and historical periods to determine if management is efficient at capital utilization.