To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Fujian Minfa Aluminium (SZSE:002578) 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)?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Fujian Minfa Aluminium:

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

0.024 = CN¥38m ÷ (CN¥2.3b - CN¥737m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Fujian Minfa Aluminium has an ROCE of 2.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Metals and Mining industry average of 6.3%.

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 Fujian Minfa Aluminium has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of Fujian Minfa Aluminium's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

There hasn't been much to report for Fujian Minfa Aluminium's returns and its level of capital employed because both metrics have been steady for the past 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 Fujian Minfa Aluminium doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time.

Another point to note, we noticed the company has increased current liabilities over the last five years. This is intriguing because if current liabilities hadn't increased to 32% of total assets, this reported ROCE would probably be less than2.4% because total capital employed would be higher.The 2.4% ROCE could be even lower if current liabilities weren't 32% of total assets, because the the formula would show a larger base of total capital employed. So while current liabilities isn't high right now, keep an eye out in case it increases further, because this can introduce some elements of risk.

Our Take On Fujian Minfa Aluminium's ROCE

In summary, Fujian Minfa Aluminium isn't compounding its earnings but is generating stable returns on the same amount of capital employed. Since the stock has declined 16% over the last five years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. 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.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Fujian Minfa Aluminium, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Fujian Minfa Aluminium isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.