To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Although, when we looked at Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group (SHSE:600008), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

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. The formula for this calculation on Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group is:

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

0.051 = CN¥4.1b ÷ (CN¥107b - CN¥27b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

So, Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group has an ROCE of 5.1%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Water Utilities industry average of 7.1%.

See our latest analysis for Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group

In the above chart we have measured Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

The Trend Of ROCE

The returns on capital haven't changed much for Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group in recent years. The company has employed 79% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 5.1%. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

The Bottom Line On Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group's ROCE

As we've seen above, Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group's returns on capital haven't increased but it is reinvesting in the business. Unsurprisingly then, the total return to shareholders over the last five years has been flat. On the whole, we aren't too inspired by the underlying trends and we think there may be better chances of finding a multi-bagger elsewhere.

One final note, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group (including 1 which is potentially serious) .

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.