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ROCE - Return on Capital Employed

3 min read

Quick Summary

ROCE shows how efficiently a company generates profits from its capital employed.

Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) is a profitability ratio that measures how efficiently a company is using its capital to generate profits. It is particularly useful for comparing companies with different capital structures.

ROCE Formula

ROCE = (EBIT / Capital Employed) × 100

Where:

Capital Employed = Total Assets - Current Liabilities

Or

Capital Employed = Shareholders' Equity + Long-term Debt

Example

If a company has:

  • EBIT: ₹50 lakhs
  • Total Assets: ₹400 lakhs
  • Current Liabilities: ₹100 lakhs

Capital Employed = ₹400 - ₹100 = ₹300 lakhs

ROCE = (₹50 / ₹300) × 100 = 16.67%

Advantages of ROCE

  • Uses EBIT (before interest), enabling comparison across capital structures
  • Focuses on long-term capital efficiency
  • Useful for capital-intensive industries
  • Better than ROE for debt-heavy companies

Key Points

  • Measures capital efficiency
  • Uses EBIT (pre-interest)
  • Capital Employed = Assets - Current Liabilities
  • Better than ROE for comparing leveraged companies
  • Higher is better; compare with WACC

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between ROCE and ROIC?

How should ROCE compare to cost of capital?