To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So when we looked at National Silicon Industry GroupLtd (SHSE:688126) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for National Silicon Industry GroupLtd, this is the formula:

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

0.0073 = CN¥179m ÷ (CN¥27b - CN¥2.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, National Silicon Industry GroupLtd has an ROCE of 0.7%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Semiconductor industry average of 5.5%.

In the above chart we have measured National Silicon Industry GroupLtd'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 National Silicon Industry GroupLtd .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

We're delighted to see that National Silicon Industry GroupLtd is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making five years ago but is is now generating 0.7% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 360% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 7.9%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books.

The Bottom Line

Long story short, we're delighted to see that National Silicon Industry GroupLtd's reinvestment activities have paid off and the company is now profitable. And since the stock has fallen 41% over the last three years, there might be an opportunity here. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for National Silicon Industry GroupLtd you'll probably want to know about.

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.