If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base 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, NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for NetScout Systems, this is the formula:

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

0.022 = US$38m ÷ (US$2.1b - US$347m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Therefore, NetScout Systems has an ROCE of 2.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Communications industry average of 9.1%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for NetScout Systems compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering NetScout Systems for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For NetScout Systems Tell Us?

It's nice to see that ROCE is headed in the right direction, even if it is still relatively low. We found that the returns on capital employed over the last five years have risen by 443%. That's a very favorable trend because this means that the company is earning more per dollar of capital that's being employed. In regards to capital employed, NetScout Systems appears to been achieving more with less, since the business is using 37% less capital to run its operation. A business that's shrinking its asset base like this isn't usually typical of a soon to be multi-bagger company.

The Bottom Line On NetScout Systems' ROCE

In the end, NetScout Systems has proven it's capital allocation skills are good with those higher returns from less amount of capital. Given the stock has declined 11% in the last five years, this could be a good investment if the valuation and other metrics are also appealing. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation.

Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation for NTCT that compares the share price and estimated value.

While NetScout Systems 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.