Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Hello Group (NASDAQ:MOMO), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Hello Group:

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

0.16 = CN¥1.9b ÷ (CN¥18b - CN¥6.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Therefore, Hello Group has an ROCE of 16%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 6.6% generated by the Interactive Media and Services industry.

See our latest analysis for Hello Group

In the above chart we have measured Hello Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Hello Group .

What Can We Tell From Hello Group's ROCE Trend?

We've noticed that although returns on capital are flat over the last five years, the amount of capital employed in the business has fallen 37% in that same period. To us that doesn't look like a multi-bagger because the company appears to be selling assets and it's returns aren't increasing. So if this trend continues, don't be surprised if the business is smaller in a few years time.

On another note, while the change in ROCE trend might not scream for attention, it's interesting that the current liabilities have actually gone up over the last five years. This is intriguing because if current liabilities hadn't increased to 34% of total assets, this reported ROCE would probably be less than16% because total capital employed would be higher.The 16% ROCE could be even lower if current liabilities weren't 34% of total assets, because the the formula would show a larger base of total capital employed. With that in mind, just be wary if this ratio increases in the future, because if it gets particularly high, this brings with it some new elements of risk.

In Conclusion...

In summary, Hello Group isn't reinvesting funds back into the business and returns aren't growing. Since the stock has declined 46% over the last five years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. 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.

Like most companies, Hello Group does come with some risks, and we've found 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Hello Group 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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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.