What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at Old Dominion Freight Line's (NASDAQ:ODFL) look very promising so lets take a look.

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 Old Dominion Freight Line, this is the formula:

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

0.35 = US$1.6b ÷ (US$5.3b - US$552m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Old Dominion Freight Line has an ROCE of 35%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Transportation industry average of 9.1%.

See our latest analysis for Old Dominion Freight Line

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Old Dominion Freight Line compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

Old Dominion Freight Line is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 35%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 52%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Old Dominion Freight Line thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

The Bottom Line

To sum it up, Old Dominion Freight Line has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And a remarkable 371% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

On the other side of ROCE, we have to consider valuation. That's why we have a FREE intrinsic value estimation on our platform that is definitely worth checking out.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning 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.