If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount 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. Having said that, from a first glance at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:CBRL) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

What Is 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 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, this is the formula:

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

0.066 = US$114m ÷ (US$2.2b - US$459m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2024).

Thus, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has an ROCE of 6.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Hospitality industry average of 9.5%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store .

What Does the ROCE Trend For Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Tell Us?

In terms of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 24%, but since then they've fallen to 6.6%. However it looks like Cracker Barrel Old Country Store might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

In Conclusion...

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 42% in the last five years. 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.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) that you should know about.

While Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 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.