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'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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. Although, when we looked at Shanghai Tunnel Engineering (SHSE:600820), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Shanghai Tunnel Engineering:

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

0.054 = CN¥3.5b ÷ (CN¥154b - CN¥88b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Shanghai Tunnel Engineering has an ROCE of 5.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Construction industry average of 6.8%.

Check out our latest analysis for Shanghai Tunnel Engineering

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Shanghai Tunnel Engineering 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 Shanghai Tunnel Engineering.

The Trend Of ROCE

In terms of Shanghai Tunnel Engineering's historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. The company has consistently earned 5.4% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 78% in that time. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

Another thing to note, Shanghai Tunnel Engineering has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 57%. 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. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

The Bottom Line

Long story short, while Shanghai Tunnel Engineering has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 9.8% to shareholders over the last five years. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.

If you'd like to know more about Shanghai Tunnel Engineering, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them is significant.

While Shanghai Tunnel Engineering 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.