There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing 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. Although, when we looked at Standex International (NYSE:SXI), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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 Standex International is:

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

0.13 = US$114m ÷ (US$1.0b - US$131m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, Standex International has an ROCE of 13%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 14% generated by the Machinery industry.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Standex International 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 Standex International .

How Are Returns Trending?

Things have been pretty stable at Standex International, with its capital employed and returns on that capital staying somewhat the same for the last five years. This tells us the company isn't reinvesting in itself, so it's plausible that it's past the growth phase. So unless we see a substantial change at Standex International in terms of ROCE and additional investments being made, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger.

Our Take On Standex International's ROCE

In a nutshell, Standex International has been trudging along with the same returns from the same amount of capital over the last five years. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 139% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

One more thing: We've identified 3 warning signs with Standex International (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) , and understanding these would certainly be useful.

While Standex International 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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