Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. In light of that, when we looked at Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology (SZSE:300656) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology is:

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

0.035 = CN¥50m ÷ (CN¥1.7b - CN¥300m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology has an ROCE of 3.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Electronic industry average of 5.0%.

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 Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Can We Tell From Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology's ROCE Trend?

In terms of Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 11% over the last five years. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, we're somewhat concerned by Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology's diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. Yet despite these concerning fundamentals, the stock has performed strongly with a 60% return over the last five years, so investors appear very optimistic. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.

Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology that you might be interested in.

While Shenzhen MinDe Electronics Technology may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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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.