Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So on that note, China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd (SHSE:600111) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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 China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd, this is the formula:

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

0.096 = CN¥3.1b ÷ (CN¥41b - CN¥8.9b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd has an ROCE of 9.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Metals and Mining industry average of 6.2%.

View our latest analysis for China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd

Above you can see how the current ROCE for China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd 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 China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd.

What Can We Tell From China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd's ROCE Trend?

Even though ROCE is still low in absolute terms, it's good to see it's heading in the right direction. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 9.6%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 87% more capital is being employed now too. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

The Key Takeaway

To sum it up, China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And a remarkable 116% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

Like most companies, China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd does come with some risks, and we've found 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

While China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-TechLtd 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.