If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Sichuan Em Technology's (SHSE:601208) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. The formula for this calculation on Sichuan Em Technology is:

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

0.038 = CN¥267m ÷ (CN¥9.8b - CN¥2.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Sichuan Em Technology has an ROCE of 3.8%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Chemicals industry average of 5.5%.

Check out our latest analysis for Sichuan Em Technology

In the above chart we have measured Sichuan Em Technology's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Sichuan Em Technology Tell Us?

We're glad to see that ROCE is heading in the right direction, even if it is still low at the moment. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 3.8%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 177%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Sichuan Em Technology thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

Our Take On Sichuan Em Technology's ROCE

All in all, it's terrific to see that Sichuan Em Technology is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a staggering 319% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. 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.

One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Sichuan Em Technology (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) .

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.