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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at LSI Industries (NASDAQ:LYTS) so let's look a bit deeper.

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

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 LSI Industries is:

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

0.13 = US$35m ÷ (US$350m - US$80m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

So, LSI Industries has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Electrical industry average of 11% it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured LSI Industries' 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 LSI Industries for free.

So How Is LSI Industries' ROCE Trending?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at LSI Industries. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 13%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 70% more capital is being employed now too. 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 Conclusion...

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what LSI Industries has. Since the stock has returned a staggering 247% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

While LSI Industries looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic for LYTS helps visualize whether it is currently trading for a fair price.

While LSI Industries 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.