To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology (SZSE:301200), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Understanding 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 Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology, this is the formula:

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

0.039 = CN¥200m ÷ (CN¥6.1b - CN¥1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology has an ROCE of 3.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Machinery industry average of 6.2%.

Check out our latest analysis for Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology

In the above chart we have measured Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

How Are Returns Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology doesn't inspire confidence. Around four years ago the returns on capital were 17%, but since then they've fallen to 3.9%. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

On a side note, Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 16% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.

The Key Takeaway

We're a bit apprehensive about Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. And, the stock has remained flat over the last year, so investors don't seem too impressed either. Unless there is a shift to a more positive trajectory in these metrics, we would look elsewhere.

One final note, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant) .

While Shenzhen Han's CNC Technology 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.