To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? 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. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after investigating B-SOFTLtd (SZSE:300451), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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. To calculate this metric for B-SOFTLtd, this is the formula:

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

0.0074 = CN¥35m ÷ (CN¥5.8b - CN¥1.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Therefore, B-SOFTLtd has an ROCE of 0.7%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Healthcare Services industry average of 11%.

In the above chart we have measured B-SOFTLtd's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering B-SOFTLtd for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at B-SOFTLtd, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 11% over the last five years. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se.

In Conclusion...

From the above analysis, we find it rather worrisome that returns on capital and sales for B-SOFTLtd have fallen, meanwhile the business is employing more capital than it was five years ago. It should come as no surprise then that the stock has fallen 38% over the last five years, so it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. Unless there is a shift to a more positive trajectory in these metrics, we would look elsewhere.

B-SOFTLtd could be trading at an attractive price in other respects, so you might find our free intrinsic value estimation for 300451 on our platform quite valuable.

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.