If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. In light of that, when we looked at Getty Images Holdings (NYSE:GETY) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

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

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 Getty Images Holdings, this is the formula:

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

0.095 = US$199m ÷ (US$2.5b - US$408m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Getty Images Holdings has an ROCE of 9.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Interactive Media and Services industry average of 8.0%.

In the above chart we have measured Getty Images Holdings' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Getty Images Holdings here for free.

So How Is Getty Images Holdings' ROCE Trending?

There hasn't been much to report for Getty Images Holdings' returns and its level of capital employed because both metrics have been steady for the past two years. It's not uncommon to see this when looking at a mature and stable business that isn't re-investing its earnings because it has likely passed that phase of the business cycle. So unless we see a substantial change at Getty Images Holdings in terms of ROCE and additional investments being made, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger.

The Bottom Line On Getty Images Holdings' ROCE

We can conclude that in regards to Getty Images Holdings' returns on capital employed and the trends, there isn't much change to report on. And in the last three years, the stock has given away 60% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Getty Images Holdings, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Getty Images Holdings 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.