If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing 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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd (SHSE:603689) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Understanding 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 Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd:

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

0.073 = CN¥419m ÷ (CN¥6.7b - CN¥971m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

So, Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd has an ROCE of 7.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Oil and Gas industry average of 12%.

Check out our latest analysis for Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you're interested in investigating Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

The returns on capital haven't changed much for Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd in recent years. The company has employed 121% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 7.3%. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

The Bottom Line

Long story short, while Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 14% to shareholders over the last five years. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.

If you want to know some of the risks facing Anhui Province Natural Gas DevelopmentCo.Ltd we've found 2 warning signs (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.