What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? 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. Having said that, from a first glance at Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group (SHSE:688558) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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. The formula for this calculation on Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group is:

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

0.10 = CN¥164m ÷ (CN¥2.0b - CN¥409m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

So, Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Machinery industry average of 6.0% it's much better.

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 , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group.

So How Is Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group's ROCE Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 10% from 19% five years ago. 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 may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

Our Take On Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group's ROCE

In summary, Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Since the stock has declined 27% over the last three years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. 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.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group you'll probably want to know about.

While Nantong Guosheng Intelligence Technology Group 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.