If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies' (NYSE:WAB) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies:

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

0.11 = US$1.6b ÷ (US$19b - US$3.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

So, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies has an ROCE of 11%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Machinery industry average of 12%.

View our latest analysis for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies .

So How Is Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies' ROCE Trending?

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 90% over the last five years. 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.

What We Can Learn From Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies' ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies that you might find interesting.

While Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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