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. 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Delixi New Energy Technology's (SHSE:603032) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

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. To calculate this metric for Delixi New Energy Technology, this is the formula:

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

0.11 = CN¥163m ÷ (CN¥1.7b - CN¥136m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

So, Delixi New Energy Technology has an ROCE of 11%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 6.3% generated by the Machinery industry.

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Delixi New Energy Technology's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Delixi New Energy Technology.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

The trends we've noticed at Delixi New Energy Technology are quite reassuring. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 11%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 105%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

What We Can Learn From Delixi New Energy Technology's ROCE

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Delixi New Energy Technology has. Given the stock has declined 32% in the last five years, 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.

If you'd like to know more about Delixi New Energy Technology, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them is a bit concerning.

While Delixi New Energy Technology 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.