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. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after investigating Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd (SZSE:300432), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd, this is the formula:

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

0.049 = CN¥254m ÷ (CN¥9.8b - CN¥4.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd has an ROCE of 4.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Auto Components industry average of 5.8%.

Check out our latest analysis for Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd 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 Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd.

So How Is Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd's ROCE Trending?

In terms of Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd's historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 4.9% and the business has deployed 36% more capital into its operations. 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 point to note, we noticed the company has increased current liabilities over the last five years. This is intriguing because if current liabilities hadn't increased to 47% of total assets, this reported ROCE would probably be less than4.9% because total capital employed would be higher.The 4.9% ROCE could be even lower if current liabilities weren't 47% of total assets, because the the formula would show a larger base of total capital employed. Additionally, this high level of current liabilities isn't ideal because it means the company's suppliers (or short-term creditors) are effectively funding a large portion of the business.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd has been investing more capital into the business, but returns on that capital haven't increased. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 302% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

Like most companies, Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Mianyang Fulin PrecisionLtd 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.