Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So on that note, Harbin Boshi Automation (SZSE:002698) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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 Harbin Boshi Automation is:

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

0.11 = CN¥482m ÷ (CN¥6.4b - CN¥2.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Harbin Boshi Automation has an ROCE of 11%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Machinery industry average of 6.0% it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured Harbin Boshi Automation's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Harbin Boshi Automation .

So How Is Harbin Boshi Automation's ROCE Trending?

Harbin Boshi Automation is displaying some positive trends. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 11%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 97%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

Our Take On Harbin Boshi Automation's ROCE

All in all, it's terrific to see that Harbin Boshi Automation is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Harbin Boshi Automation, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

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.