To avoid investing in a business that's in decline, there's a few financial metrics that can provide early indications of aging. When we see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) in conjunction with a declining base of capital employed, that's often how a mature business shows signs of aging. Basically the company is earning less on its investments and it is also reducing its total assets. In light of that, from a first glance at United Utilities Group (LON:UU.), we've spotted some signs that it could be struggling, so let's investigate.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for United Utilities Group:

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

0.034 = UK￡488m ÷ (UK￡16b - UK￡1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Thus, United Utilities Group has an ROCE of 3.4%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 3.3%, it's still a low return by itself.

Check out our latest analysis for United Utilities Group

Above you can see how the current ROCE for United Utilities Group compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for United Utilities Group .

What Does the ROCE Trend For United Utilities Group Tell Us?

In terms of United Utilities Group's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, the ROCE was 5.7% five years ago, but since then it has dropped noticeably. And on the capital employed front, the business is utilizing roughly the same amount of capital as it was back then. This combination can be indicative of a mature business that still has areas to deploy capital, but the returns received aren't as high due potentially to new competition or smaller margins. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on United Utilities Group becoming one if things continue as they have.

In Conclusion...

In summary, it's unfortunate that United Utilities Group is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Yet despite these concerning fundamentals, the stock has performed strongly with a 55% return over the last five years, so investors appear very optimistic. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.

If you want to know some of the risks facing United Utilities Group we've found 3 warning signs (2 are significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

While United Utilities Group isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.