If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? 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. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. With that in mind, the ROCE of ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:ON) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.

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. To calculate this metric for ON Semiconductor, this is the formula:

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

0.20 = US$2.4b ÷ (US$14b - US$2.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

So, ON Semiconductor has an ROCE of 20%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 8.9% earned by companies in a similar industry.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for ON Semiconductor compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering ON Semiconductor for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

The trends we've noticed at ON Semiconductor are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 20%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 59%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

Our Take On ON Semiconductor's ROCE

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what ON Semiconductor has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for ON Semiconductor that we think you should be aware of.

ON Semiconductor is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.

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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.