To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. So on that note, Herc Holdings (NYSE:HRI) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Herc Holdings:

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

0.10 = US$663m ÷ (US$6.9b - US$538m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Herc Holdings has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Trade Distributors industry average of 13%.

Check out our latest analysis for Herc Holdings

In the above chart we have measured Herc Holdings' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Herc Holdings.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

The trends we've noticed at Herc Holdings are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 10%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 88%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Herc Holdings thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

The Bottom Line On Herc Holdings' ROCE

All in all, it's terrific to see that Herc Holdings is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Herc Holdings, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

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.