If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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. That's why when we briefly looked at Fu Shou Yuan International Group's (HKG:1448) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw.

Understanding 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Fu Shou Yuan International Group:

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

0.19 = CN¥1.4b ÷ (CN¥8.7b - CN¥1.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

So, Fu Shou Yuan International Group has an ROCE of 19%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 12% generated by the Consumer Services industry.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Fu Shou Yuan International Group compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Fu Shou Yuan International Group .

The Trend Of ROCE

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has employed 64% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 19%. 19% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Fu Shou Yuan International Group has consistently earned this amount. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

The Bottom Line On Fu Shou Yuan International Group's ROCE

The main thing to remember is that Fu Shou Yuan International Group has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. However, over the last five years, the stock hasn't provided much growth to shareholders in the way of total returns. For that reason, savvy investors might want to look further into this company in case it's a prime investment.

While Fu Shou Yuan International Group doesn't shine too bright in this respect, it's still worth seeing if the company is trading at attractive prices. You can find that out with our FREE intrinsic value estimation for 1448 on our platform.

While Fu Shou Yuan International Group isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.