If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) looks decent, right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

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 Perdoceo Education is:

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

0.18 = US$165m ÷ (US$1.0b - US$111m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

So, Perdoceo Education has an ROCE of 18%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 7.6% generated by the Consumer Services industry.

In the above chart we have measured Perdoceo Education's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Perdoceo Education .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has consistently earned 18% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 133% in that time. 18% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Perdoceo Education has consistently earned this amount. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

Our Take On Perdoceo Education's ROCE

To sum it up, Perdoceo Education has simply been reinvesting capital steadily, at those decent rates of return. However, over the last five years, the stock hasn't provided much growth to shareholders in the way of total returns. For that reason, savvy investors might want to look further into this company in case it's a prime investment.

One more thing to note, we've identified 2 warning signs with Perdoceo Education and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

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.