Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. However, after investigating Vishay Intertechnology (NYSE:VSH), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Vishay Intertechnology, this is the formula:

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

0.10 = US$361m ÷ (US$4.3b - US$709m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

So, Vishay Intertechnology has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Electronic industry average of 11%.

In the above chart we have measured Vishay Intertechnology'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 Vishay Intertechnology .

So How Is Vishay Intertechnology's ROCE Trending?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Vishay Intertechnology, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 18%, but since then they've fallen to 10%. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line On Vishay Intertechnology's ROCE

In summary, Vishay Intertechnology is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 54% over the last five years. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

Vishay Intertechnology does have some risks though, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Vishay Intertechnology that you might be interested in.

While Vishay Intertechnology 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.