If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. With that in mind, the ROCE of Guanghui Energy (SHSE:600256) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Guanghui Energy, this is the formula:

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

0.28 = CN¥11b ÷ (CN¥60b - CN¥22b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Therefore, Guanghui Energy has an ROCE of 28%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Oil and Gas industry average of 12%.

Check out our latest analysis for Guanghui Energy

In the above chart we have measured Guanghui Energy's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Guanghui Energy.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Guanghui Energy has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 145% over the last five years. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. The company is doing well in that sense, and it's worth investigating what the management team has planned for long term growth prospects.

The Bottom Line On Guanghui Energy's ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Guanghui Energy has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And a remarkable 136% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Guanghui Energy can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

Like most companies, Guanghui Energy does come with some risks, and we've found 3 warning signs that you should be aware of.

Guanghui Energy is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.

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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.