What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating Shenzhou International Group Holdings (HKG:2313), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Shenzhou International Group Holdings, this is the formula:

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

0.10 = CN¥3.6b ÷ (CN¥46b - CN¥12b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, Shenzhou International Group Holdings has an ROCE of 10%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 11% generated by the Luxury industry.

View our latest analysis for Shenzhou International Group Holdings

In the above chart we have measured Shenzhou International Group Holdings' 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 report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Shenzhou International Group Holdings Tell Us?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Shenzhou International Group Holdings doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 10% from 20% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line On Shenzhou International Group Holdings' ROCE

To conclude, we've found that Shenzhou International Group Holdings is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And with the stock having returned a mere 1.6% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options.

Shenzhou International Group Holdings could be trading at an attractive price in other respects, so you might find our free intrinsic value estimation on our platform quite valuable.

While Shenzhou International Group Holdings 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.