To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So on that note, UFP Technologies (NASDAQ:UFPT) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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 UFP Technologies, this is the formula:

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

0.17 = US$60m ÷ (US$400m - US$57m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, UFP Technologies has an ROCE of 17%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 9.3% generated by the Medical Equipment industry.

View our latest analysis for UFP Technologies

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

So How Is UFP Technologies' ROCE Trending?

The trends we've noticed at UFP Technologies are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 17%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 99%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

The Key Takeaway

To sum it up, UFP Technologies has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Since the stock has returned a staggering 406% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if UFP Technologies can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with UFP Technologies and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

While UFP Technologies 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.