There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. So on that note, Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd (SZSE:002297) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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. The formula for this calculation on Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd is:

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

0.0022 = CN¥5.0m ÷ (CN¥2.9b - CN¥676m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Thus, Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd has an ROCE of 0.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Aerospace & Defense industry average of 4.4%.

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd.

What Can We Tell From Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd's ROCE Trend?

Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd has recently broken into profitability so their prior investments seem to be paying off. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making five years ago but is is now generating 0.2% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 31% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

Our Take On Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd's ROCE

In summary, it's great to see that Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd has managed to break into profitability and is continuing to reinvest in its business. Since the stock has only returned 22% to shareholders over the last five years, the promising fundamentals may not be recognized yet by investors. Given that, we'd look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term.

Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation for 002297 that compares the share price and estimated value.

While Hunan Boyun New MaterialsLtd 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.