Need Help Making Sense of Valuation

Ok, so hypothetically we know that the reinvestment rate of a firm multiplied by the firm's return on capital gives us the growth rate of operating cash flows. Or in other words, growth rate/return on capital=reinvestment rate. But when I look at the financial statements of different companies today, this doesn't seem to be the case. XOM shouldn't have the capital expenditures it does, considering the return on capital it can sustain. PFE should have to be re-investing more of its cash to meet even modest growth expectations. What am I missing? Is the re-investment rate for valuation purposes supposed to be off, since it is just a construct that brings together variables like return on capital and cost of capital. If anyone can point me in the right direction, please do.

4 Comments
 

the right direction unfortunately is that most of the stats are outright lies so therefore none of the "ivy tower" models actually work. Just remember it is all make believe, it should be in a disney movie. You can make the stats fit whatever you want and don't worry thats what everyone else does!

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