Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Having said that, from a first glance at CITIC Offshore Helicopter (SZSE:000099) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

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

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. To calculate this metric for CITIC Offshore Helicopter, this is the formula:

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

0.047 = CN¥267m ÷ (CN¥6.2b - CN¥565m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, CITIC Offshore Helicopter has an ROCE of 4.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Logistics industry average of 6.8%.

See our latest analysis for CITIC Offshore Helicopter

Above you can see how the current ROCE for CITIC Offshore Helicopter compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for CITIC Offshore Helicopter.

The Trend Of ROCE

Over the past five years, CITIC Offshore Helicopter's ROCE and capital employed have both remained mostly flat. This tells us the company isn't reinvesting in itself, so it's plausible that it's past the growth phase. So unless we see a substantial change at CITIC Offshore Helicopter in terms of ROCE and additional investments being made, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger.

The Key Takeaway

We can conclude that in regards to CITIC Offshore Helicopter's returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. Since the stock has gained an impressive 54% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

CITIC Offshore Helicopter does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for CITIC Offshore Helicopter that you might be interested in.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high 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.