To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? 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 Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics (SZSE:002119), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What Is 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. To calculate this metric for Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics, this is the formula:

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

0.05 = CN¥69m ÷ (CN¥2.3b - CN¥966m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Thus, Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics has an ROCE of 5.0%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 4.3% average generated by the Semiconductor industry.

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics.

What Can We Tell From Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics' ROCE Trend?

In terms of Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 12%, but since then they've fallen to 5.0%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

On a side note, Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics' current liabilities are still rather high at 41% of total assets. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks.

What We Can Learn From Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics' ROCE

In summary, despite lower returns in the short term, we're encouraged to see that Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics is reinvesting for growth and has higher sales as a result. These growth trends haven't led to growth returns though, since the stock has fallen 14% over the last five years. So we think it'd be worthwhile to look further into this stock given the trends look encouraging.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics that you might find interesting.

While Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics 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.