Commercial Metals's Return on Invested Capital Overview

According to Benzinga Pro data Commercial Metals CMC posted a 34.72% decrease in earnings from Q3. Sales, however, increased by 10.08% over the previous quarter to $2.03 billion. Despite the increase in sales this quarter, the decrease in earnings may suggest Commercial Metals is not utilizing their capital as effectively as possible. In Q3, Commercial Metals earned $180.82 million and total sales reached $1.84 billion.

Why Is ROIC Significant?

Return on Invested Capital is a measure of yearly pre-tax profit relative to capital invested by a business. Changes in earnings and sales indicate shifts in a company's ROIC. A higher ROIC is generally representative of successful growth of a company and is a sign of higher earnings per share in the future. A low or negative ROIC suggests the opposite. In Q4, Commercial Metals posted an ROIC of 5.59%.

Keep in mind, while ROIC is a good measure of a company's recent performance, it is not a highly reliable predictor of a company's earnings or sales in the near future.

For Commercial Metals, the positive return on invested capital ratio of 5.59% suggests that management is allocating their capital effectively. Effective capital allocation is a positive indicator that a company will achieve more durable success and favorable long-term returns.