What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at MSA Safety's (NYSE:MSA) look very promising so lets take a 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 MSA Safety is:

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

0.22 = US$403m ÷ (US$2.2b - US$333m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, MSA Safety has an ROCE of 22%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Commercial Services industry average of 10%.

In the above chart we have measured MSA Safety's 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 MSA Safety for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at MSA Safety. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 22%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 39%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

The Bottom Line On MSA Safety's ROCE

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what MSA Safety has. And with a respectable 93% awarded to those who held the stock over the last five years, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

On a final note, we found 4 warning signs for MSA Safety (1 is concerning) you should be aware of.

High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks 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.