What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. That's why when we briefly looked at Novanta's (NASDAQ:NOVT) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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 Novanta, this is the formula:

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

0.12 = US$126m ÷ (US$1.2b - US$138m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Novanta has an ROCE of 12%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 12%.

Check out our latest analysis for Novanta

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Novanta 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 Novanta here for free.

So How Is Novanta's ROCE Trending?

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has consistently earned 12% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 62% in that time. 12% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Novanta has consistently earned this amount. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.

What We Can Learn From Novanta's ROCE

The main thing to remember is that Novanta has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. And long term investors would be thrilled with the 130% return they've received over the last five years. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Novanta you'll probably want to know about.

While Novanta 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.