There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So when we looked at Chongqing Chuanyi Automation (SHSE:603100) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

What Is 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Chongqing Chuanyi Automation:

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

0.13 = CN¥577m ÷ (CN¥8.3b - CN¥3.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

So, Chongqing Chuanyi Automation has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Electronic industry average of 5.5% it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured Chongqing Chuanyi Automation's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Chongqing Chuanyi Automation .

How Are Returns Trending?

Chongqing Chuanyi Automation is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 13%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 76% more capital is being employed now too. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Chongqing Chuanyi Automation thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

Another thing to note, Chongqing Chuanyi Automation has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 45%. 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. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

The Key Takeaway

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 Chongqing Chuanyi Automation has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

While Chongqing Chuanyi Automation looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic for 603100 helps visualize whether it is currently trading for a fair price.

While Chongqing Chuanyi Automation 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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