There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. That's why when we briefly looked at Gibraltar Industries' (NASDAQ:ROCK) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw.

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

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 Gibraltar Industries is:

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

0.15 = US$163m ÷ (US$1.4b - US$307m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

Thus, Gibraltar Industries has an ROCE of 15%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 15%.

Check out our latest analysis for Gibraltar Industries

In the above chart we have measured Gibraltar Industries' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Gibraltar Industries for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Gibraltar Industries Tell Us?

While the current returns on capital are decent, they haven't changed much. The company has employed 50% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 15%. Since 15% is a moderate ROCE though, it's good to see a business can continue to reinvest at these decent rates of return. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns.

Our Take On Gibraltar Industries' ROCE

The main thing to remember is that Gibraltar Industries has proven its ability to continually reinvest at respectable rates of return. However, over the last five years, the stock has only delivered a 34% return to shareholders who held over that period. So because of the trends we're seeing, we'd recommend looking further into this stock to see if it has the makings of a multi-bagger.

If you're still interested in Gibraltar Industries it's worth checking out our FREE intrinsic value approximation for ROCK to see if it's trading at an attractive price in other respects.

While Gibraltar Industries 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.