If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount 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 Shandong Yulong Gold's (SHSE:601028) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Shandong Yulong Gold:

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

0.17 = CN¥700m ÷ (CN¥8.2b - CN¥4.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

So, Shandong Yulong Gold has an ROCE of 17%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 5.9% generated by the Trade Distributors industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Shandong Yulong Gold

In the above chart we have measured Shandong Yulong Gold'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 Shandong Yulong Gold here for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Shandong Yulong Gold Tell Us?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Shandong Yulong Gold. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 17%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 61%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

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. The current liabilities has increased to 51% of total assets, so the business is now more funded by the likes of its suppliers or short-term creditors. And with current liabilities at those levels, that's pretty high.

The Bottom Line

All in all, it's terrific to see that Shandong Yulong Gold is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a staggering 133% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Shandong Yulong Gold that you might find interesting.

While Shandong Yulong Gold may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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.