What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in DocuSign's (NASDAQ:DOCU) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. The formula for this calculation on DocuSign is:

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

0.068 = US$90m ÷ (US$2.9b - US$1.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to April 2024).

Therefore, DocuSign has an ROCE of 6.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Software industry average of 8.2%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for DocuSign compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering DocuSign for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

Shareholders will be relieved that DocuSign has broken into profitability. While the business was unprofitable in the past, it's now turned things around and is earning 6.8% on its capital. While returns have increased, the amount of capital employed by DocuSign has remained flat over the period. That being said, while an increase in efficiency is no doubt appealing, it'd be helpful to know if the company does have any investment plans going forward. So if you're looking for high growth, you'll want to see a business's capital employed also increasing.

On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. Effectively this means that suppliers or short-term creditors are now funding 55% of the business, which is more than it was five years ago. Given it's pretty high ratio, we'd remind investors that having current liabilities at those levels can bring about some risks in certain businesses.

Our Take On DocuSign's ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that DocuSign has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. Investors may not be impressed by the favorable underlying trends yet because over the last five years the stock has only returned 26% to shareholders. So exploring more about this stock could uncover a good opportunity, if the valuation and other metrics stack up.

While DocuSign looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic for DOCU helps visualize whether it is currently trading for a fair price.

While DocuSign isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.