Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. Having said that, from a first glance at Shenzhou International Group Holdings (HKG:2313) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Shenzhou International Group Holdings is:

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

0.13 = CN¥3.6b ÷ (CN¥42b - CN¥14b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

Therefore, Shenzhou International Group Holdings has an ROCE of 13%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 10% generated by the Luxury industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Shenzhou International Group Holdings

In the above chart we have measured Shenzhou International Group Holdings' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Shenzhou International Group Holdings here for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of Shenzhou International Group Holdings' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 18%, but since then they've fallen to 13%. However it looks like Shenzhou International Group Holdings might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

While on the subject, we noticed that the ratio of current liabilities to total assets has risen to 32%, which has impacted the ROCE. Without this increase, it's likely that ROCE would be even lower than 13%. Keep an eye on this ratio, because the business could encounter some new risks if this metric gets too high.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, Shenzhou International Group Holdings is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 59% over the last five years. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

One more thing to note, we've identified 2 warning signs with Shenzhou International Group Holdings and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

While Shenzhou International Group Holdings 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.