If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Linktel Technologies (SZSE:301205) 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 Linktel Technologies, this is the formula:

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

0.011 = CN¥16m ÷ (CN¥1.7b - CN¥228m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Linktel Technologies has an ROCE of 1.1%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Electronic industry average of 5.4%.

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'd like to look at how Linktel Technologies has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of Linktel Technologies' past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Are Returns Trending?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Linktel Technologies, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last four years, returns on capital have decreased to 1.1% from 16% four years ago. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

The Key Takeaway

From the above analysis, we find it rather worrisome that returns on capital and sales for Linktel Technologies have fallen, meanwhile the business is employing more capital than it was four years ago. Yet despite these poor fundamentals, the stock has gained a huge 234% over the last year, so investors appear very optimistic. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.

Linktel Technologies does have some risks, we noticed 3 warning signs (and 1 which shouldn't be ignored) we think you should know about.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

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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.