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. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) looks attractive right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Ross Stores:

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

0.26 = US$2.5b ÷ (US$15b - US$4.9b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to August 2024).

Thus, Ross Stores has an ROCE of 26%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 12% earned by companies in a similar industry.

In the above chart we have measured Ross Stores' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Ross Stores for free.

What Can We Tell From Ross Stores' ROCE Trend?

We'd be pretty happy with returns on capital like Ross Stores. The company has consistently earned 26% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 51% in that time. With returns that high, it's great that the business can continually reinvest its money at such appealing rates of return. If Ross Stores can keep this up, we'd be very optimistic about its future.

Our Take On Ross Stores' ROCE

In the end, the company has proven it can reinvest it's capital at high rates of returns, which you'll remember is a trait of a multi-bagger. However, over the last five years, the stock has only delivered a 32% return to shareholders who held over that period. That's why it could be worth your time looking into this stock further to discover if it has more traits of a multi-bagger.

While Ross Stores looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic for ROST helps visualize whether it is currently trading for a fair price.

Ross Stores 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.