Glossary

Capital employed

Capital employed is the total long-term funding in a business — equity plus long-term debt — the capital against which returns are measured.

2 min read

Equity +long-term debt
Fundsthe business

Definition

Capital employed is the total long-term funding invested in a business — broadly equity plus long-term debt, or total assets minus current liabilities. It measures the capital put to work generating returns.

In plain terms

It is the money tied up in running the business over the long term. Comparing profit to it shows how efficiently that capital is being used.

Why it matters for your company

Return on capital employed (ROCE) — profit as a percentage of capital employed — is a key efficiency measure lenders and investors watch. A business earning strong returns on its capital is using its funding well.

Funding for UK limited companies

Credicorp lends to your company, not to you personally — short-term working capital with no personal guarantee. See what your business could access.