What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? 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. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd (SHSE:601116) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. To calculate this metric for Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd, this is the formula:

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

0.053 = CN¥180m ÷ (CN¥5.0b - CN¥1.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd has an ROCE of 5.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Consumer Retailing industry average of 6.9%.

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 Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd's ROCE growth is quite impressive. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 83% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. It's worth looking deeper into this though because while it's great that the business is more efficient, it might also mean that going forward the areas to invest internally for the organic growth are lacking.

The Bottom Line

To sum it up, Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. Given the stock has declined 32% in the last five years, this could be a good investment if the valuation and other metrics are also appealing. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd that you might be interested in.

While Sanjiang Shopping ClubLtd 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.