What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. Although, when we looked at Huapont Life SciencesLtd (SZSE:002004), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. The formula for this calculation on Huapont Life SciencesLtd is:

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

0.08 = CN¥1.6b ÷ (CN¥30b - CN¥10b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Huapont Life SciencesLtd has an ROCE of 8.0%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Chemicals industry average of 6.0%.

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Huapont Life SciencesLtd's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Huapont Life SciencesLtd.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of Huapont Life SciencesLtd's historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. The company has consistently earned 8.0% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 25% in that time. 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.

In Conclusion...

In conclusion, Huapont Life SciencesLtd has been investing more capital into the business, but returns on that capital haven't increased. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 13% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Huapont Life SciencesLtd (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) that you should know about.

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.