If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think China Everbright Environment Group (HKG:257) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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 China Everbright Environment Group, this is the formula:

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

0.067 = HK$10b ÷ (HK$189b - HK$34b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Therefore, China Everbright Environment Group has an ROCE of 6.7%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 7.0%, it's still a low return by itself.

See our latest analysis for China Everbright Environment Group

In the above chart we have measured China Everbright Environment Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for China Everbright Environment Group .

How Are Returns Trending?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at China Everbright Environment Group, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 6.7% from 10% five years ago. However it looks like China Everbright Environment Group might be reinvesting for long term growth because while capital employed has increased, the company's sales haven't changed much in the last 12 months. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

Our Take On China Everbright Environment Group's ROCE

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by China Everbright Environment Group's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 18% 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.

China Everbright Environment Group does come with some risks though, we found 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is concerning...

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.