If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's 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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think La-Z-Boy (NYSE:LZB) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for La-Z-Boy:

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

0.10 = US$150m ÷ (US$1.9b - US$440m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2024).

So, La-Z-Boy has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty standard return but compared to the Consumer Durables industry average it falls behind.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for La-Z-Boy 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 La-Z-Boy for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of La-Z-Boy's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 10% from 17% five years ago. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se.

The Key Takeaway

In summary, we're somewhat concerned by La-Z-Boy's diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 19% in the last five years. Regardless, we don't like the trends as they are and if they persist, we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

La-Z-Boy does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for La-Z-Boy that you might be interested in.

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.