If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Liaoning Port (HKG:2880) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. The formula for this calculation on Liaoning Port is:

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

0.047 = CN¥2.4b ÷ (CN¥57b - CN¥4.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Therefore, Liaoning Port has an ROCE of 4.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Infrastructure industry average of 6.0%.

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Liaoning Port.

How Are Returns Trending?

We're glad to see that ROCE is heading in the right direction, even if it is still low at the moment. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 4.7%. 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 54%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

The Bottom Line

To sum it up, Liaoning Port has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And since the stock has fallen 29% over the last five years, there might be an opportunity here. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Liaoning Port, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Liaoning Port 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.