If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding 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. That's why when we briefly looked at Cavco Industries' (NASDAQ:CVCO) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Cavco Industries:

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

0.18 = US$194m ÷ (US$1.3b - US$271m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, Cavco Industries has an ROCE of 18%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 14% generated by the Consumer Durables industry.

In the above chart we have measured Cavco Industries' 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 Cavco Industries .

How Are Returns Trending?

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 99% in that time. 18% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Cavco Industries has consistently earned this amount. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.

Our Take On Cavco Industries' ROCE

The main thing to remember is that Cavco Industries has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. And long term investors would be thrilled with the 183% return they've received over the last five years. So while the positive underlying trends may be accounted for by investors, we still think this stock is worth looking into further.

If you're still interested in Cavco Industries it's worth checking out our FREE intrinsic value approximation for CVCO to see if it's trading at an attractive price in other respects.

While Cavco Industries isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.