If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think China Resources Medical Holdings (HKG:1515) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Understanding 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 China Resources Medical Holdings is:

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

0.071 = CN¥636m ÷ (CN¥19b - CN¥9.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, China Resources Medical Holdings has an ROCE of 7.1%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Healthcare industry average of 11%.

In the above chart we have measured China Resources Medical Holdings' 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 China Resources Medical Holdings.

What Does the ROCE Trend For China Resources Medical Holdings Tell Us?

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at China Resources Medical Holdings. The company has consistently earned 7.1% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 49% in that time. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

Another point to note, we noticed the company has increased current liabilities over the last five years. This is intriguing because if current liabilities hadn't increased to 52% of total assets, this reported ROCE would probably be less than7.1% because total capital employed would be higher.The 7.1% ROCE could be even lower if current liabilities weren't 52% of total assets, because the the formula would show a larger base of total capital employed. Additionally, this high level of current liabilities isn't ideal because it means the company's suppliers (or short-term creditors) are effectively funding a large portion of the business.

The Bottom Line On China Resources Medical Holdings' ROCE

Long story short, while China Resources Medical Holdings has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 17% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think China Resources Medical Holdings has the makings of a multi-bagger.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing China Resources Medical Holdings, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.