If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech's (SZSE:002446) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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 Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech, this is the formula:

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

0.063 = CN¥221m ÷ (CN¥4.3b - CN¥774m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech has an ROCE of 6.3%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Communications industry average of 5.1%.

View our latest analysis for Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. More specifically, while the company has kept capital employed relatively flat over the last five years, the ROCE has climbed 94% in that same time. 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. It's worth looking deeper into this though because while it's great that the business is more efficient, it might also mean that going forward the areas to invest internally for the organic growth are lacking.

The Bottom Line

To sum it up, Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 45% return over the last five years. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

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

While Guangdong Shenglu Telecommunication Tech isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.