If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd (SHSE:603810), 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd:

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

0.0023 = CN¥4.9m ÷ (CN¥2.7b - CN¥590m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd has an ROCE of 0.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Chemicals industry average of 5.5%.

View our latest analysis for Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

So How Is Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd's ROCE Trending?

In terms of Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 15% over the last five years. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se.

Our Take On Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd's ROCE

We're a bit apprehensive about Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Long term shareholders who've owned the stock over the last five years have experienced a 10% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. Unless there is a shift to a more positive trajectory in these metrics, we would look elsewhere.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd (of which 1 can't be ignored!) that you should know about.

While Jiangsu Fengshan GroupLtd 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.