To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Although, when we looked at iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) (SZSE:301236), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

What Is 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 iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) is:

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

0.042 = CN¥455m ÷ (CN¥14b - CN¥3.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) has an ROCE of 4.2%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 3.7%, it's still a low return by itself.

View our latest analysis for iSoftStone Information Technology (Group)

Above you can see how the current ROCE for iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for iSoftStone Information Technology (Group).

How Are Returns Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 4.2% from 7.0% five years ago. However it looks like iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) 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 may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

On a related note, iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) has decreased its current liabilities to 26% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.

The Bottom Line

In summary, iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Since the stock has gained an impressive 26% over the last year, investors must think there's better things to come. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) (1 doesn't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high 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.