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. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Zimmer Biomet Holdings' (NYSE:ZBH) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Zimmer Biomet Holdings, this is the formula:

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

0.087 = US$1.6b ÷ (US$22b - US$3.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Therefore, Zimmer Biomet Holdings has an ROCE of 8.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Medical Equipment industry average of 9.6%.

In the above chart we have measured Zimmer Biomet Holdings' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Zimmer Biomet Holdings .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Zimmer Biomet Holdings has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. More specifically, while the company has kept capital employed relatively flat over the last five years, the ROCE has climbed 31% in that same time. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

What We Can Learn From Zimmer Biomet Holdings' ROCE

To bring it all together, Zimmer Biomet Holdings has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. And since the stock has fallen 23% over the last five years, there might be an opportunity here. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Zimmer Biomet Holdings, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should be aware of.

While Zimmer Biomet Holdings 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.