ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. L.B. Foster Co's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2023 was 0.65%.
As of today (2024-04-27), L.B. Foster Co's WACC % is 7.40%. L.B. Foster Co's ROIC % is 5.40% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
L.B. Foster Co earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
L.B. Foster Co ROIC % Historical Data
The historical data trend for L.B. Foster Co's ROIC % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Railroads subindustry, L.B. Foster Co's ROIC %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROIC % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
L.B. Foster Co's ROIC % Distribution in the Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, L.B. Foster Co's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where L.B. Foster Co's ROIC % falls into.
L.B. Foster Co ROIC % Calculation
L.B. Foster Co's annualized Return on Invested Capital (ROIC %) for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2023 is calculated as:
Note:
The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Dec. 2023) data.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
L.B. Foster Co (NAS:FSTR) ROIC % Explanation
ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. The reason book values of debt and equity are used is because the book values are the capital the company received when issuing the debt or receiving the equity investments.
There are four key components to this definition. The first is the use of operating income or EBIT rather than net income in the numerator. The second is the tax adjustment to this operating income or EBIT, computed as a hypothetical tax based on an effective or marginal tax rate. The third is the use of book values for invested capital, rather than market values. The final is the timing difference; the capital invested is from the end of the prior year whereas the operating income or EBIT is the current year's number.
Why is ROIC % important?
Because it costs money to raise capital. A firm that generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases, whereas a firm that earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital will destroy value as it grows.
As of today, L.B. Foster Co's WACC % is 7.40%. L.B. Foster Co's ROIC % is 5.40% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Be Aware
Like ROE % and ROA %, ROIC % is calculated with only 12 months of data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.
L.B. Foster Co ROIC % Related Terms
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L.B. Foster Co (L.B. Foster Co) Business Description
L.B. Foster Co is a US-based firm engaged in the manufacturing, fabrication, and distribution of products and services, especially for the rail, construction, energy, and utility industry. The company operates its business through three segments: Rail Technologies and Services; Precast Concrete Products and Steel Products and Measurement. Its principal business activity involves providing new and used rail, trackwork, and accessories, producing concrete railroad ties, insulated rail joints, power rail, track fasteners, coverboards, and sales of sells and rents steel sheet piling, H-bearing pile, and other piling products for foundation and earth retention requirements. It generates the majority of its revenues from the Rail Products and Services segment.
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