What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Fushun Special SteelLTD's (SHSE:600399) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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. The formula for this calculation on Fushun Special SteelLTD is:

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

0.049 = CN¥443m ÷ (CN¥13b - CN¥4.4b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Therefore, Fushun Special SteelLTD has an ROCE of 4.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Metals and Mining industry average of 6.8%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Fushun Special SteelLTD 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 Fushun Special SteelLTD .

So How Is Fushun Special SteelLTD's ROCE Trending?

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 4.9%. 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 25%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Fushun Special SteelLTD thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. Essentially the business now has suppliers or short-term creditors funding about 33% of its operations, which isn't ideal. It's worth keeping an eye on this because as the percentage of current liabilities to total assets increases, some aspects of risk also increase.

Our Take On Fushun Special SteelLTD's ROCE

To sum it up, Fushun Special SteelLTD has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And a remarkable 158% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

Fushun Special SteelLTD does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Fushun Special SteelLTD that you might be interested in.

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.