If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. 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. 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, we've noticed some promising trends at Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. To calculate this metric for Hain Celestial Group, this is the formula:

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

0.05 = US$91m ÷ (US$2.1b - US$282m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Therefore, Hain Celestial Group has an ROCE of 5.0%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Food industry average of 11%.

Check out our latest analysis for Hain Celestial Group

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Hain Celestial Group 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 Hain Celestial Group for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

While there are companies with higher returns on capital out there, we still find the trend at Hain Celestial Group promising. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 30% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. 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. The company is doing well in that sense, and it's worth investigating what the management team has planned for long term growth prospects.

In Conclusion...

In summary, we're delighted to see that Hain Celestial Group has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And since the stock has fallen 65% over the last five years, there might be an opportunity here. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Hain Celestial Group, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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