Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. Although, when we looked at Zhejiang Runtu (SZSE:002440), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. To calculate this metric for Zhejiang Runtu, this is the formula:

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

0.005 = CN¥52m ÷ (CN¥13b - CN¥2.9b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

So, Zhejiang Runtu has an ROCE of 0.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Chemicals industry average of 5.8%.

See our latest analysis for Zhejiang Runtu

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Zhejiang Runtu 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 Zhejiang Runtu here for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Zhejiang Runtu Tell Us?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Zhejiang Runtu, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 20%, but since then they've fallen to 0.5%. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

In Conclusion...

In summary, Zhejiang Runtu is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 10% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

If you'd like to know more about Zhejiang Runtu, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

While Zhejiang Runtu 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.