Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? 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. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. So on that note, Shenzhen Aisidi (SZSE:002416) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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. To calculate this metric for Shenzhen Aisidi, this is the formula:

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

0.15 = CN¥972m ÷ (CN¥16b - CN¥9.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Shenzhen Aisidi has an ROCE of 15%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 5.1% generated by the Electronic industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Shenzhen Aisidi

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Shenzhen Aisidi compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Shenzhen Aisidi here for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Shenzhen Aisidi is showing promise given that its ROCE is trending up and to the right. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 23% over the last five years. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

Another thing to note, Shenzhen Aisidi has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 59%. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

What We Can Learn From Shenzhen Aisidi's ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Shenzhen Aisidi has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. Since the stock has returned a solid 63% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

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

While Shenzhen Aisidi 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.