BioLife Solutions Inc (BLFS)

Return on total capital

		Dec 31, 2023	Sep 30, 2023	Jun 30, 2023	Mar 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Sep 30, 2022	Jun 30, 2022	Mar 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Sep 30, 2021	Jun 30, 2021	Mar 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Sep 30, 2020	Jun 30, 2020	Mar 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019	Sep 30, 2019	Jun 30, 2019	Mar 31, 2019
Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) (ttm)	US$ in thousands	-70,823	-106,939	-89,896	-151,179	-145,541	-114,735	-114,154	-42,146	-35,160	-22,104	-12,075	-23,900	-610	6,241	17,641	38,274	-3,193	-3,592	-12,667	-15,635
Long-term debt	US$ in thousands	18,311	20,937	23,572	23,692	23,793	24,207	6,188	6,313	6,353	6,122	5,019	916	655	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Total stockholders’ equity	US$ in thousands	337,663	332,017	352,128	358,107	364,188	405,120	409,544	476,075	478,047	489,259	452,281	208,777	204,429	186,851	105,843	67,709	43,321	35,191	2,072	-3,740
Return on total capital		-19.90%	-30.30%	-23.93%	-39.60%	-37.51%	-26.72%	-27.46%	-8.74%	-7.26%	-4.46%	-2.64%	-11.40%	-0.30%	3.34%	16.67%	56.53%	-7.37%	-10.21%	-611.34%	—

December 31, 2023 calculation

Return on total capital = EBIT (ttm) ÷ (Long-term debt + Total stockholders’ equity)
= $-70,823K ÷ ($18,311K + $337,663K)
= -19.90%

BioLife Solutions Inc's return on total capital has exhibited significant volatility over the past few quarters, ranging from -611.34% in the first quarter of 2019 to a high of 56.53% in the first quarter of 2020. However, the company experienced negative returns in most quarters, with the latest data showing -19.90% as of December 31, 2023. This negative trend indicates that the company may be facing challenges in generating returns on the total capital employed in its operations. Further analysis and investigation into the factors contributing to this trend are warranted to understand the company's financial performance and sustainability in the long run.