What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Western Superconducting Technologies (SHSE:688122) so let's look a bit deeper.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Western Superconducting Technologies is:

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

0.11 = CN¥915m ÷ (CN¥11b - CN¥3.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, Western Superconducting Technologies has an ROCE of 11%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Metals and Mining industry average of 6.4% it's much better.

View our latest analysis for Western Superconducting Technologies

In the above chart we have measured Western Superconducting Technologies' 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 Western Superconducting Technologies here for free.

What Can We Tell From Western Superconducting Technologies' ROCE Trend?

Western Superconducting Technologies is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 11%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 237% 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.

The Bottom Line

To sum it up, Western Superconducting Technologies has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Considering the stock has delivered 15% to its stockholders over the last three years, it may be fair to think that investors aren't fully aware of the promising trends yet. So exploring more about this stock could uncover a good opportunity, if the valuation and other metrics stack up.

One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Western Superconducting Technologies (including 1 which is a bit concerning) .

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.