What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing 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 investigating Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd (SHSE:603499), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd is:

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

0.033 = CN¥29m ÷ (CN¥1.2b - CN¥283m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd has an ROCE of 3.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Packaging industry average of 4.4%.

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'd like to look at how Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 7.5%, but since then they've fallen to 3.3%. However it looks like Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd 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.

Our Take On Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd's ROCE

To conclude, we've found that Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 16% in the last five years. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

If you want to know some of the risks facing Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd we've found 3 warning signs (2 don't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

While Shanghai Sunglow Packaging TechnologyLtd 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.