Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Having said that, from a first glance at Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

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

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Northwest Natural Holding is:

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

0.047 = US$193m ÷ (US$4.7b - US$590m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Northwest Natural Holding has an ROCE of 4.7%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Gas Utilities industry average of 5.9%.

View our latest analysis for Northwest Natural Holding

In the above chart we have measured Northwest Natural Holding'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 Northwest Natural Holding.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Northwest Natural Holding Tell Us?

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at Northwest Natural Holding. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 4.7% and the business has deployed 51% more capital into its operations. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

The Key Takeaway

In conclusion, Northwest Natural Holding has been investing more capital into the business, but returns on that capital haven't increased. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 37% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

On a final note, we found 3 warning signs for Northwest Natural Holding (1 shouldn't be ignored) you should be aware of.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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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.