If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? 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. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. In light of that, when we looked at Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

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 Regis Resources, this is the formula:

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

0.016 = AU$29m ÷ (AU$2.3b - AU$449m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

Thus, Regis Resources has an ROCE of 1.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Metals and Mining industry average of 9.7%.

Check out our latest analysis for Regis Resources

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Regis Resources 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 Regis Resources .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of Regis Resources' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 1.6% from 26% five years ago. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance.

On a side note, Regis Resources' current liabilities have increased over the last five years to 20% of total assets, effectively distorting the ROCE to some degree. Without this increase, it's likely that ROCE would be even lower than 1.6%. While the ratio isn't currently too high, it's worth keeping an eye on this because if it gets particularly high, the business could then face some new elements of risk.

Our Take On Regis Resources' ROCE

Even though returns on capital have fallen in the short term, we find it promising that revenue and capital employed have both increased for Regis Resources. And there could be an opportunity here if other metrics look good too, because the stock has declined 22% in the last five years. As a result, we'd recommend researching this stock further to uncover what other fundamentals of the business can show us.

Regis Resources could be trading at an attractive price in other respects, so you might find our free intrinsic value estimation for RRL on our platform quite valuable.

While Regis Resources 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 this free list here.

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.