There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. In light of that, when we looked at Ansell (ASX:ANN) 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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Ansell:

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

0.069 = US$196m ÷ (US$3.2b - US$423m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Therefore, Ansell has an ROCE of 6.9%. On its own that's a low return on capital but it's in line with the industry's average returns of 6.9%.

See our latest analysis for Ansell

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Ansell compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Ansell for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

We weren't thrilled with the trend because Ansell's ROCE has reduced by 29% over the last five years, while the business employed 37% more capital. That being said, Ansell raised some capital prior to their latest results being released, so that could partly explain the increase in capital employed. The funds raised likely haven't been put to work yet so it's worth watching what happens in the future with Ansell's earnings and if they change as a result from the capital raise. It's also worth noting the company's latest EBIT figure is within 10% of the previous year, so it's fair to assign the ROCE drop largely to the capital raise.

The Bottom Line On Ansell's ROCE

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Ansell's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And with the stock having returned a mere 23% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.

Ansell does have some risks though, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Ansell that you might be interested in.

While Ansell 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.

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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.