To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making (SHSE:688401) so let's look a bit deeper.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making is:

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

0.084 = CN¥160m ÷ (CN¥2.2b - CN¥303m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

So, Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making has an ROCE of 8.4%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 5.2% generated by the Electronic industry, it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making .

The Trend Of ROCE

We're glad to see that ROCE is heading in the right direction, even if it is still low at the moment. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 8.4%. 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 219%. 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.

In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 14%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. This tells us that Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making has grown its returns without a reliance on increasing their current liabilities, which we're very happy with.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, it's great to see that Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making can compound returns by consistently reinvesting capital at increasing rates of return, because these are some of the key ingredients of those highly sought after multi-baggers. And since the stock has fallen 25% over the last year, there might be an opportunity here. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making you'll probably want to know about.

While Shenzhen Newway Photomask Making may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com