If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. Having said that, from a first glance at GoodWe Technologies (SHSE:688390) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

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 GoodWe Technologies is:

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

0.12 = CN¥434m ÷ (CN¥6.8b - CN¥3.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Therefore, GoodWe Technologies has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Electrical industry average of 6.0% it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured GoodWe Technologies' 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 GoodWe Technologies for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at GoodWe Technologies doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 20% over the last five years. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

Another thing to note, GoodWe Technologies has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 47%. 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.

In Conclusion...

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that GoodWe Technologies is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. These growth trends haven't led to growth returns though, since the stock has fallen 56% over the last three years. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.

If you'd like to know more about GoodWe Technologies, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them is potentially serious.

While GoodWe Technologies isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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