If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out 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. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. That's why when we briefly looked at Edwards Lifesciences' (NYSE:EW) ROCE trend, we were very happy with what we saw.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Edwards Lifesciences:

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

0.21 = US$1.8b ÷ (US$9.7b - US$1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Thus, Edwards Lifesciences has an ROCE of 21%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Medical Equipment industry average of 10%.

In the above chart we have measured Edwards Lifesciences' 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 Edwards Lifesciences .

What Can We Tell From Edwards Lifesciences' ROCE Trend?

We'd be pretty happy with returns on capital like Edwards Lifesciences. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 21% and the business has deployed 79% more capital into its operations. Now considering ROCE is an attractive 21%, this combination is actually pretty appealing because it means the business can consistently put money to work and generate these high returns. You'll see this when looking at well operated businesses or favorable business models.

The Key Takeaway

In short, we'd argue Edwards Lifesciences has the makings of a multi-bagger since its been able to compound its capital at very profitable rates of return. And since the stock has risen strongly over the last five years, it appears the market might expect this trend to continue. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Edwards Lifesciences and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

Edwards Lifesciences is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com