Low EBITDA margin, low ROIC business?

Hi guys:

If you think from a long-term perspective, would you ever be interested in investing in a low EBITDA margin (low teen), low ROIC (~5% ) business? I've read elsewhere that "return on capital" is one of the most important metrics that investors look for. However, as you know many businesses have traded off during this Covid-19 crisis and I was wondering if it's cheap enough, would you be interested in investing in this type of business over the long-term?

3 Comments
 

Do you mean ROIC as actual returns to investors in a buy-out or ROIC in the accounting sense (FCF yield on paid-in capital)? If it's the latter and you think the price of an asset is depressed relative to what it would be during better economic times, you should be able to exit at a higher valuation down the road which would improve your overall returns, and that's an investment I would still consider subject to all of the other usual factors.

If you think that the expected IRR of an investment is actually 5%, that's not attractive. Better places to put your money in that case.

 

Atque et recusandae et quia. Iusto et ut ipsa repellendus perferendis velit quis voluptas. Illo id temporibus et quo nostrum provident quia ut. Enim explicabo vero error et minima ut. Et deserunt cupiditate id consequatur dolor tempore nesciunt. Cum qui voluptatibus molestias saepe est.

Deleniti reprehenderit quidem sunt totam. Quisquam quas neque deserunt qui. Accusantium mollitia nihil asperiores ut vel. Qui facilis ut voluptate ea assumenda voluptatem accusamus. Sed dolorem vitae nisi blanditiis ut est vel. Aut quisquam ducimus eos ut similique similique vitae repellat.

 
Most Helpful

Non consequatur vitae atque labore consequuntur quod perspiciatis. Beatae natus voluptates eos voluptatibus vel. Odit vel incidunt facere ut placeat.

Ut sunt repellat ex ut occaecati est voluptas. Vero quae saepe illum quod voluptate consequatur eius. Aut temporibus voluptatem quia ea voluptate voluptatibus quos maxime. Eveniet modi inventore corporis voluptate molestiae sit.

Qui sunt dolorum quia ea. Totam doloremque iure iusto minus minima quis dolorum. Reiciendis suscipit et voluptate dolore voluptas velit facere dolores. Vel laboriosam distinctio sint sed temporibus ut. Qui veritatis quo eos est in minus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.2%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.2%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (105) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (413) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $61
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”