What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Huayi Brothers Media's (SZSE:300027) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Huayi Brothers Media:

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

0.076 = CN¥119m ÷ (CN¥3.7b - CN¥2.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Thus, Huayi Brothers Media has an ROCE of 7.6%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 5.3% generated by the Entertainment industry, it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured Huayi Brothers Media'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 Huayi Brothers Media for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Huayi Brothers Media Tell Us?

It's great to see that Huayi Brothers Media has started to generate some pre-tax earnings from prior investments. While the business is profitable now, it used to be incurring losses on invested capital five years ago. Additionally, the business is utilizing 85% less capital than it was five years ago, and taken at face value, that can mean the company needs less funds at work to get a return. Huayi Brothers Media could be selling under-performing assets since the ROCE is improving.

For the record though, there was a noticeable increase in the company's current liabilities over the period, so we would attribute some of the ROCE growth to that. Essentially the business now has suppliers or short-term creditors funding about 57% of its operations, which isn't ideal. And with current liabilities at those levels, that's pretty high.

The Bottom Line On Huayi Brothers Media's ROCE

In the end, Huayi Brothers Media has proven it's capital allocation skills are good with those higher returns from less amount of capital. Given the stock has declined 40% in the last five years, this could be a good investment if the valuation and other metrics are also appealing. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

If you want to continue researching Huayi Brothers Media, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.

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.

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