What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, 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. Although, when we looked at Takbo Group Holdings (HKG:8436), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Takbo Group Holdings is:

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

0.039 = HK$9.7m ÷ (HK$279m - HK$30m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Thus, Takbo Group Holdings has an ROCE of 3.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Personal Products industry average of 12%.

Check out our latest analysis for Takbo Group Holdings

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Takbo Group Holdings' ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of Takbo Group Holdings.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Takbo Group Holdings, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 3.9% from 23% five years ago. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

The Bottom Line

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Takbo Group Holdings' reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 40% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

If you want to continue researching Takbo Group Holdings, you might be interested to know about the 2 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.

While Takbo Group Holdings isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.