There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base 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. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at EOG Resources' (NYSE:EOG) look very promising so lets take a look.

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

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for EOG Resources:

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

0.25 = US$9.9b ÷ (US$44b - US$4.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, EOG Resources has an ROCE of 25%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Oil and Gas industry average of 15%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for EOG Resources compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for EOG Resources .

The Trend Of ROCE

EOG Resources is displaying some positive trends. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 25%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 35% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

In Conclusion...

In summary, it's great to see that EOG Resources can compound returns by consistently reinvesting capital at increasing rates of return, because these are some of the key ingredients of those highly sought after multi-baggers. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 53% return over the last five years. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

If you want to know some of the risks facing EOG Resources we've found 2 warning signs (1 is concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets here.

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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.