General Electric's Return On Invested Capital Insights

According to Benzinga Pro data, during Q2, General Electric GE posted sales of $18.65 billion. Earnings were up 24.04%, but General Electric still reported an overall loss of $771.00 million. General Electric collected $17.04 billion in revenue during Q1, but reported earnings showed a $1.01 billion loss.

What Is Return On Invested Capital?

Earnings data without context is not clear and can difficult to base trading decisions on. Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) helps to filter signal from noise by measuring yearly pre-tax profit relative to invested capital by a business. Generally, a higher ROIC suggests successful growth of a company and is a sign of higher earnings per share in the future. In Q2, General Electric posted an ROIC of -0.45%.

It is important to keep in mind that ROIC evaluates past performance and is not used as a predictive tool. It is a good measure of a company's recent performance, but does not account for factors that could affect earnings and sales in the near future.

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 Q2, General Electric posted an ROIC of -0.45%.

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 General Electric, a negative ROIC ratio of -0.45% suggests that management may not be effectively allocating their capital. Effective capital allocation is a positive indicator that a company will achieve more durable success and favorable long-term returns; poor capital allocation can be a leech on the performance of a company over time.

Upcoming Earnings Estimate

General Electric reported Q2 earnings per share at $0.78/share, which beat analyst predictions of $0.38/share.

This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.