Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So on that note, Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group (SHSE:601717) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group:

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

0.12 = CN¥3.8b ÷ (CN¥48b - CN¥18b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group has an ROCE of 12%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 6.2% generated by the Machinery industry.

See our latest analysis for Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group

In the above chart we have measured Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group'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 report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 12%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 87%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

Our Take On Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group's ROCE

To sum it up, Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Since the stock has returned a staggering 131% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

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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.