Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Red Rock Resorts' (NASDAQ:RRR) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

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. To calculate this metric for Red Rock Resorts, this is the formula:

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

0.17 = US$609m ÷ (US$4.0b - US$307m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

So, Red Rock Resorts has an ROCE of 17%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Hospitality industry average of 10% it's much better.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Red Rock Resorts compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Red Rock Resorts .

How Are Returns Trending?

Red Rock Resorts' ROCE growth is quite impressive. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 118% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. So our take on this is that the business has increased efficiencies to generate these higher returns, all the while not needing to make any additional investments. The company is doing well in that sense, and it's worth investigating what the management team has planned for long term growth prospects.

What We Can Learn From Red Rock Resorts' ROCE

To bring it all together, Red Rock Resorts has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. And a remarkable 205% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Red Rock Resorts can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

If you'd like to know more about Red Rock Resorts, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

While Red Rock Resorts 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.

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