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. Although, when we looked at Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech (SZSE:300507), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech:

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

0.041 = CN¥87m ÷ (CN¥2.7b - CN¥598m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Therefore, Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech has an ROCE of 4.1%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Auto Components industry average of 5.8%.

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 want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 10%, but since then they've fallen to 4.1%. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

Our Take On Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech's ROCE

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 62% over the last five years. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward.

On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for Jiangsu Olive Sensors High-Tech (1 is significant) you should be aware of.

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.