If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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, Huizhou Desay SV Automotive (SZSE:002920) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

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. The formula for this calculation on Huizhou Desay SV Automotive is:

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

0.16 = CN¥1.5b ÷ (CN¥18b - CN¥8.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Huizhou Desay SV Automotive has an ROCE of 16%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Auto Components industry average of 6.6% it's much better.

In the above chart we have measured Huizhou Desay SV Automotive's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Huizhou Desay SV Automotive .

How Are Returns Trending?

Huizhou Desay SV Automotive is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 16%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 115%. 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.

On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. Essentially the business now has suppliers or short-term creditors funding about 48% of its operations, which isn't ideal. And with current liabilities at those levels, that's pretty high.

Our Take On Huizhou Desay SV Automotive's ROCE

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 Huizhou Desay SV Automotive has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

If you want to continue researching Huizhou Desay SV Automotive, you might be interested to know about the 1 warning sign that our analysis has discovered.

While Huizhou Desay SV Automotive 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.