What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. However, after investigating Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Broadridge Financial Solutions:

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

0.15 = US$1.0b ÷ (US$8.2b - US$1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Therefore, Broadridge Financial Solutions has an ROCE of 15%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Professional Services industry average of 14%.

In the above chart we have measured Broadridge Financial Solutions' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Broadridge Financial Solutions .

So How Is Broadridge Financial Solutions' ROCE Trending?

In terms of Broadridge Financial Solutions' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 23% over the last five years. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line

To conclude, we've found that Broadridge Financial Solutions is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 65% over the last five years. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Broadridge Financial Solutions, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Broadridge Financial Solutions 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com