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. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So on that note, Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd (SHSE:603299) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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. To calculate this metric for Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd, this is the formula:

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

0.13 = CN¥650m ÷ (CN¥8.9b - CN¥3.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

Thus, Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd has an ROCE of 13%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Chemicals industry average of 10.0% it's much better.

See our latest analysis for Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you'd like to look at how Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

The Trend Of ROCE

We like the trends that we're seeing from Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 13%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 122%. 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.

Another thing to note, Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd has a high ratio of current liabilities to total assets of 43%. This can bring about some risks because the company is basically operating with a rather large reliance on its suppliers or other sorts of short-term creditors. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

The Bottom Line On Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd'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 Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd has. Since the stock has only returned 27% to shareholders over the last five years, the promising fundamentals may not be recognized yet by investors. Given that, we'd look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term.

On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd that we think you should be aware of.

While Jiang Su Suyan JingshenLtd isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.