If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. 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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Jiangsu High Hope International Group (SHSE:600981) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Jiangsu High Hope International Group is:

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

0.012 = CN¥112m ÷ (CN¥26b - CN¥17b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Jiangsu High Hope International Group has an ROCE of 1.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Retail Distributors industry average of 5.5%.

Check out our latest analysis for Jiangsu High Hope International Group

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you're interested in investigating Jiangsu High Hope International Group's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

So How Is Jiangsu High Hope International Group's ROCE Trending?

Things have been pretty stable at Jiangsu High Hope International Group, with its capital employed and returns on that capital staying somewhat the same for the last five years. Businesses with these traits tend to be mature and steady operations because they're past the growth phase. So don't be surprised if Jiangsu High Hope International Group doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time.

On a separate but related note, it's important to know that Jiangsu High Hope International Group has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 65%, which we'd consider pretty high. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

Our Take On Jiangsu High Hope International Group's ROCE

We can conclude that in regards to Jiangsu High Hope International Group's returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 21% in the last five years. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for Jiangsu High Hope International Group (1 is a bit unpleasant) you should be aware of.

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.