If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? 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. 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 investigating Baoshan Iron & Steel (SHSE:600019), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What Is 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 Baoshan Iron & Steel, this is the formula:

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

0.061 = CN¥16b ÷ (CN¥378b - CN¥116b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Baoshan Iron & Steel has an ROCE of 6.1%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 6.5%, it's still a low return by itself.

In the above chart we have measured Baoshan Iron & Steel's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Baoshan Iron & Steel .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of Baoshan Iron & Steel's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 15%, but since then they've fallen to 6.1%. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

On a side note, Baoshan Iron & Steel has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 31% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE.

Our Take On Baoshan Iron & Steel's ROCE

To conclude, we've found that Baoshan Iron & Steel is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And with the stock having returned a mere 25% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Baoshan Iron & Steel and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

While Baoshan Iron & Steel 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.