There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's 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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Nanofilm Technologies International (SGX:MZH) 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)?

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Nanofilm Technologies International:

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

0.0049 = S$2.8m ÷ (S$621m - S$46m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, Nanofilm Technologies International has an ROCE of 0.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Chemicals industry average of 2.4%.

In the above chart we have measured Nanofilm Technologies International'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 Nanofilm Technologies International .

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Nanofilm Technologies International, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 23% over the last five years. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

On a related note, Nanofilm Technologies International has decreased its current liabilities to 7.4% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.

Our Take On Nanofilm Technologies International's ROCE

From the above analysis, we find it rather worrisome that returns on capital and sales for Nanofilm Technologies International have fallen, meanwhile the business is employing more capital than it was five years ago. We expect this has contributed to the stock plummeting 84% during the last three years. That being the case, unless the underlying trends revert to a more positive trajectory, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Nanofilm Technologies International and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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.

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