What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could 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. Although, when we looked at YUNDA Holding (SZSE:002120), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for YUNDA Holding:

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

0.096 = CN¥2.7b ÷ (CN¥38b - CN¥9.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, YUNDA Holding has an ROCE of 9.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return, but it's much better than the Logistics industry average of 7.1%.

See our latest analysis for YUNDA Holding

Above you can see how the current ROCE for YUNDA Holding compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering YUNDA Holding here for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at YUNDA Holding doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 9.6% from 22% 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

To conclude, we've found that YUNDA Holding is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 48% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

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

While YUNDA Holding 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.