What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So on that note, Clenergy Technology (SHSE:603628) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

Understanding 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 Clenergy Technology, this is the formula:

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

0.14 = CN¥224m ÷ (CN¥2.4b - CN¥735m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Clenergy Technology has an ROCE of 14%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 6.3% generated by the Electrical industry.

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Clenergy Technology's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you're interested in investigating Clenergy Technology's past further, check out this free graph covering Clenergy Technology's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

The Trend Of ROCE

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Clenergy Technology. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 14%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 36% more capital is being employed now too. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Clenergy Technology thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 31%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books.

The Bottom Line On Clenergy Technology's ROCE

To sum it up, Clenergy Technology has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Clenergy Technology can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

Clenergy Technology does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Clenergy Technology that you might be interested in.

While Clenergy Technology 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.