There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growingreturnon capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expandingbaseof capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes inSMTC's(NASDAQ:SMTX) 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 SMTC, this is the formula:

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

0.15 = US$13m รท (US$221m - US$132m)(Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).

Therefore,SMTC has an ROCE of 15%.On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 9.7% generated by the Electronic industry.

Check out our latest analysis for SMTC

NasdaqGM:SMTX Return on Capital Employed November 5th 2020

Above you can see how the current ROCE for SMTC 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 SMTC here forfree.How Are Returns Trending?

The trends we've noticed at SMTC are quite reassuring. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 15%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 232% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.One more thing to note, SMTC has decreased current liabilities to 59% of total assets over this period, which effectively reduces the amount of funding from suppliers or short-term creditors. So this improvement in ROCE has come from the business' underlying economics, which is great to see. Nevertheless, there are some potential risks the company is bearing with current liabilities that high, so just keep that in mind.The Bottom Line

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 SMTC has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out ourFREE intrinsic value estimationthat compares the share price and estimated value.

While SMTC 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 thisfreelist here.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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