If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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 briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd (SHSE:603667) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

What Is 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. The formula for this calculation on Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd is:

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

0.03 = CN¥96m ÷ (CN¥4.8b - CN¥1.5b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd has an ROCE of 3.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Machinery industry average of 6.0%.

In the above chart we have measured Zhejiang XCC 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 Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd .

How Are Returns Trending?

We weren't thrilled with the trend because Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd's ROCE has reduced by 68% over the last five years, while the business employed 132% more capital. That being said, Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd raised some capital prior to their latest results being released, so that could partly explain the increase in capital employed. The funds raised likely haven't been put to work yet so it's worth watching what happens in the future with Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd's earnings and if they change as a result from the capital raise.

The Bottom Line

In summary, Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd 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 gained an impressive 97% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward.

On a separate note, we've found 4 warning signs for Zhejiang XCC GroupLtd you'll probably want to know about.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.