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. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Stella International Holdings (HKG:1836) so let's look a bit deeper.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Stella International Holdings, this is the formula:

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

0.13 = US$139m ÷ (US$1.3b - US$227m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Therefore, Stella International Holdings has an ROCE of 13%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 11% generated by the Luxury industry.

In the above chart we have measured Stella International 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 analyst report for Stella International Holdings .

How Are Returns Trending?

Stella International Holdings is showing promise given that its ROCE is trending up and to the right. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 194% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. 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. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

What We Can Learn From Stella International Holdings' ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Stella International Holdings has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. Since the stock has returned a solid 42% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

Stella International Holdings does have some risks though, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Stella International Holdings that you might be interested in.

While Stella International Holdings isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.