To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So when we looked at Tsakos Energy Navigation (NYSE:TNP) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Tsakos Energy Navigation is:

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

0.11 = US$337m ÷ (US$3.4b - US$417m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, Tsakos Energy Navigation has an ROCE of 11%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty standard return but compared to the Oil and Gas industry average it falls behind.

In the above chart we have measured Tsakos Energy Navigation's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Tsakos Energy Navigation .

What Does the ROCE Trend For Tsakos Energy Navigation Tell Us?

Tsakos Energy Navigation's ROCE growth is quite impressive. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 744% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. It's worth looking deeper into this though because while it's great that the business is more efficient, it might also mean that going forward the areas to invest internally for the organic growth are lacking.

What We Can Learn From Tsakos Energy Navigation's ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Tsakos Energy Navigation has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And with a respectable 74% 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. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

One more thing, we've spotted 3 warning signs facing Tsakos Energy Navigation that you might find interesting.

While Tsakos Energy Navigation 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.