If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Having said that, from a first glance at Chison Medical Technologies (SHSE:688358) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

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 Chison Medical Technologies is:

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

0.067 = CN¥93m ÷ (CN¥1.5b - CN¥111m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Chison Medical Technologies has an ROCE of 6.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Medical Equipment industry average of 7.7%.

View our latest analysis for Chison Medical Technologies

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Chison Medical Technologies 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 Chison Medical Technologies here for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Chison Medical Technologies doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 6.7% from 42% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

On a related note, Chison Medical Technologies has decreased its current liabilities to 7.4% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.

In Conclusion...

To conclude, we've found that Chison Medical Technologies is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 7.5% to shareholders over the last three years. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.

If you'd like to know more about Chison Medical Technologies, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them is concerning.

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.

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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.