If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Heilongjiang Agriculture (SHSE:600598), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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. The formula for this calculation on Heilongjiang Agriculture is:

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

0.13 = CN¥980m ÷ (CN¥10b - CN¥2.5b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Therefore, Heilongjiang Agriculture has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Food industry average of 7.6% it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured Heilongjiang Agriculture'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 Heilongjiang Agriculture for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Heilongjiang Agriculture Tell Us?

There hasn't been much to report for Heilongjiang Agriculture's returns and its level of capital employed because both metrics have been steady for the past five years. It's not uncommon to see this when looking at a mature and stable business that isn't re-investing its earnings because it has likely passed that phase of the business cycle. So don't be surprised if Heilongjiang Agriculture doesn't end up being a multi-bagger in a few years time.

In Conclusion...

We can conclude that in regards to Heilongjiang Agriculture's returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. Since the stock has gained an impressive 52% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

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

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.