What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding (HKG:322), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding is:

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

0.13 = CN¥3.6b ÷ (CN¥59b - CN¥32b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Therefore, Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Food industry average of 9.3% it's much better.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

So How Is Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding's ROCE Trending?

Over the past five years, Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding's ROCE and capital employed have both remained mostly flat. It's not uncommon to see this when looking at a mature and stable business that isn't re-investing its earnings because it has likely passed that phase of the business cycle. So don't be surprised if Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time. That probably explains why Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding has been paying out 99% of its earnings as dividends to shareholders. Most shareholders probably know this and own the stock for its dividend.

On a side note, Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding's current liabilities are still rather high at 55% of total assets. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

Our Take On Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding's ROCE

We can conclude that in regards to Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding's returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 1.3% 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.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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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.