If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies (SHSE:600498) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

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. The formula for this calculation on Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies is:

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

0.031 = CN¥553m ÷ (CN¥42b - CN¥24b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies has an ROCE of 3.1%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Communications industry average of 5.1%.

See our latest analysis for Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies 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 Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 9.0% over the last five years. 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 separate but related note, it's important to know that Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 57%, which we'd consider pretty high. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

The Bottom Line On Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies' ROCE

In summary, Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 46% in the last five years. On the whole, we aren't too inspired by the underlying trends and we think there may be better chances of finding a multi-bagger elsewhere.

If you'd like to know more about Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

While Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies 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.