What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology (SHSE:603077) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. To calculate this metric for Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology, this is the formula:

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

0.077 = CN¥1.6b ÷ (CN¥25b - CN¥3.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology has an ROCE of 7.7%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 6.0% generated by the Chemicals industry, it's much better.

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 want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology.

The Trend Of ROCE

The returns on capital haven't changed much for Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology in recent years. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 7.7% and the business has deployed 80% more capital into its operations. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology has simply been reinvesting capital and generating the same low rate of return as before. And with the stock having returned a mere 21% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. As a result, if you're hunting for a multi-bagger, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

Like most companies, Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology does come with some risks, and we've found 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

While Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology 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.