Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. In light of that, when we looked at Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance (SHSE:603215) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.19 = CN¥203m ÷ (CN¥1.6b - CN¥598m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

So, Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance has an ROCE of 19%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Consumer Durables industry average of 6.6% it's much better.

See our latest analysis for Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance

In the above chart we have measured Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

How Are Returns Trending?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance, we didn't gain much confidence. Around four years ago the returns on capital were 46%, but since then they've fallen to 19%. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

On a side note, Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 36% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE.

The Bottom Line On Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance's ROCE

To conclude, we've found that Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Since the stock has gained an impressive 17% over the last year, investors must think there's better things to come. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance that you might find interesting.

While Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.