If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Willdan Group's (NASDAQ:WLDN) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

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

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Willdan Group:

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

0.10 = US$32m ÷ (US$447m - US$129m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Therefore, Willdan Group has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty standard return but compared to the Professional Services industry average it falls behind.

In the above chart we have measured Willdan Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Willdan Group for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

We like the trends that we're seeing from Willdan Group. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 10%. 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 22%. 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.

What We Can Learn From Willdan Group's ROCE

In summary, it's great to see that Willdan Group 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 with a respectable 48% awarded to those who held the stock over the last five years, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Willdan Group can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

Like most companies, Willdan Group does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Willdan 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.