There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) (SHSE:688050) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. The formula for this calculation on Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) is:

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

0.11 = CN¥248m ÷ (CN¥2.3b - CN¥129m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

Therefore, Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) has an ROCE of 11%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Medical Equipment industry average of 9.5%.

Check out our latest analysis for Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing)

In the above chart we have measured Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing)'s 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 Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) here for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

We're delighted to see that Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making five years ago but is is now generating 11% on its capital. And unsurprisingly, like most companies trying to break into the black, Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) is utilizing 589% more capital than it was five years ago. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger.

Our Take On Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing)'s ROCE

Overall, Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. Given the stock has declined 12% in the last year, this could be a good investment if the valuation and other metrics are also appealing. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation that compares the share price and estimated value.

While Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list 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.