To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Bosun (SZSE:002282) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

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. To calculate this metric for Bosun, this is the formula:

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

0.041 = CN¥148m ÷ (CN¥3.9b - CN¥254m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Bosun has an ROCE of 4.1%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Machinery industry average of 6.3%.

See our latest analysis for Bosun

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 Bosun's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

So How Is Bosun's ROCE Trending?

The returns on capital haven't changed much for Bosun in recent years. The company has employed 69% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 4.1%. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

One more thing to note, even though ROCE has remained relatively flat over the last five years, the reduction in current liabilities to 6.6% of total assets, is good to see from a business owner's perspective. This can eliminate some of the risks inherent in the operations because the business has less outstanding obligations to their suppliers and or short-term creditors than they did previously.

Our Take On Bosun's ROCE

In summary, Bosun has simply been reinvesting capital and generating the same low rate of return as before. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 12% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

Bosun could be trading at an attractive price in other respects, so you might find our free intrinsic value estimation on our platform quite valuable.

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.