To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. So when we looked at Warrior Met Coal (NYSE:HCC), they do have a high ROCE, but we weren't exactly elated from how returns are trending.

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. To calculate this metric for Warrior Met Coal, this is the formula:

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

0.26 = US$537m ÷ (US$2.2b - US$144m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Warrior Met Coal has an ROCE of 26%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 9.9% earned by companies in a similar industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Warrior Met Coal

In the above chart we have measured Warrior Met Coal's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Warrior Met Coal here for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Warrior Met Coal Tell Us?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Warrior Met Coal doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, while the ROCE is still high, it's fallen from 44% where it was five years ago. However it looks like Warrior Met Coal might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line

To conclude, we've found that Warrior Met Coal is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 201% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

Warrior Met Coal does come with some risks though, we found 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.