To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? 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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Full Truck Alliance (NYSE:YMM) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. To calculate this metric for Full Truck Alliance, this is the formula:

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

0.023 = CN¥808m ÷ (CN¥39b - CN¥3.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Full Truck Alliance has an ROCE of 2.3%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Transportation industry average of 9.2%.

View our latest analysis for Full Truck Alliance

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Full Truck Alliance compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Full Truck Alliance.

How Are Returns Trending?

We're delighted to see that Full Truck Alliance is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making three years ago but is is now generating 2.3% on its capital. In addition to that, Full Truck Alliance is employing 154% more capital than previously which is expected of a company that's trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

The Bottom Line On Full Truck Alliance's ROCE

To the delight of most shareholders, Full Truck Alliance has now broken into profitability. And since the stock has fallen 30% over the last year, there might be an opportunity here. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

On the other side of ROCE, we have to consider valuation. That's why we have a FREE intrinsic value estimation on our platform that is definitely worth checking out.

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.