If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look 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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Atkore's (NYSE:ATKR) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Atkore:

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

0.28 = US$711m ÷ (US$3.0b - US$466m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Thus, Atkore has an ROCE of 28%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 12% earned by companies in a similar industry.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Atkore compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Atkore for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

We like the trends that we're seeing from Atkore. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 28%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 118%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Atkore thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

The Bottom Line

In summary, it's great to see that Atkore can compound returns by consistently reinvesting capital at increasing rates of return, because these are some of the key ingredients of those highly sought after multi-baggers. And a remarkable 162% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

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

Atkore is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.

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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.