If we're looking to avoid a business that is in decline, what are the trends that can warn us ahead of time? More often than not, we'll see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining amount of capital employed. This indicates the company is producing less profit from its investments and its total assets are decreasing. In light of that, from a first glance at Nanjing Port (SZSE:002040), we've spotted some signs that it could be struggling, so let's investigate.

Understanding 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. The formula for this calculation on Nanjing Port is:

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

0.044 = CN¥190m ÷ (CN¥4.9b - CN¥584m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Nanjing Port has an ROCE of 4.4%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 5.2% average generated by the Infrastructure industry.

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Nanjing Port, check out these free graphs here.

What Can We Tell From Nanjing Port's ROCE Trend?

In terms of Nanjing Port's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. Unfortunately the returns on capital have diminished from the 5.9% that they were earning five years ago. Meanwhile, capital employed in the business has stayed roughly the flat over the period. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on Nanjing Port becoming one if things continue as they have.

What We Can Learn From Nanjing Port's ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that Nanjing Port is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Despite the concerning underlying trends, the stock has actually gained 2.0% over the last five years, so it might be that the investors are expecting the trends to reverse. Either way, we aren't huge fans of the current trends and so with that we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Nanjing Port (including 1 which 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.