If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should 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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So on that note, Zijin Mining Group (HKG:2899) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

What Is 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. To calculate this metric for Zijin Mining Group, this is the formula:

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

0.12 = CN¥31b ÷ (CN¥343b - CN¥84b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Zijin Mining Group has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Metals and Mining industry average of 10%.

In the above chart we have measured Zijin Mining Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Zijin Mining Group .

How Are Returns Trending?

Zijin Mining Group is displaying some positive trends. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 12%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 242%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

The Key Takeaway

To sum it up, Zijin Mining Group has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And a remarkable 438% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Zijin Mining Group can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

If you want to continue researching Zijin Mining Group, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.

While Zijin Mining Group 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.