If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. 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 Clearway Energy (NYSE:CWEN.A), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Understanding 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. The formula for this calculation on Clearway Energy is:

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

0.02 = US$279m ÷ (US$15b - US$906m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Clearway Energy has an ROCE of 2.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Renewable Energy industry average of 5.9%.

In the above chart we have measured Clearway Energy's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Clearway Energy for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Clearway Energy doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 2.0% from 4.7% five years ago. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

The Bottom Line On Clearway Energy's ROCE

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that Clearway Energy is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. Furthermore the stock has climbed 89% over the last five years, it would appear that investors are upbeat about the future. So while the underlying trends could already be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

One final note, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Clearway Energy (including 1 which is significant) .

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.