If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in FTAI Aviation's (NASDAQ:FTAI) returns on capital, so let's have a 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 FTAI Aviation, this is the formula:

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

0.13 = US$357m ÷ (US$3.0b - US$219m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

So, FTAI Aviation has an ROCE of 13%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 13%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for FTAI Aviation 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 FTAI Aviation for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

The trends we've noticed at FTAI Aviation are quite reassuring. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 13%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 20%. 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.

The Key Takeaway

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 FTAI Aviation has. And a remarkable 578% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if FTAI Aviation can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

If you'd like to know more about FTAI Aviation, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them is potentially serious.

While FTAI Aviation 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.