To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC) looks decent, right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. To calculate this metric for Balchem, this is the formula:

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

0.10 = US$155m ÷ (US$1.6b - US$108m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Balchem has an ROCE of 10%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 11% generated by the Chemicals industry.

See our latest analysis for Balchem

In the above chart we have measured Balchem's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Balchem.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Balchem Tell Us?

While the returns on capital are good, they haven't moved much. The company has employed 63% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 10%. 10% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Balchem has consistently earned this amount. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.

The Bottom Line

The main thing to remember is that Balchem has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. In light of this, the stock has only gained 37% over the last five years for shareholders who have owned the stock in this period. So because of the trends we're seeing, we'd recommend looking further into this stock to see if it has the makings of a multi-bagger.

Like most companies, Balchem does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Balchem 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.