If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out 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. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Orient Overseas (International) (HKG:316), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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 Orient Overseas (International) is:

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

0.043 = US$599m ÷ (US$16b - US$2.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

So, Orient Overseas (International) has an ROCE of 4.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Shipping industry average of 7.4%.

Check out our latest analysis for Orient Overseas (International)

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Orient Overseas (International) 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 Orient Overseas (International) .

The Trend Of ROCE

The returns on capital haven't changed much for Orient Overseas (International) in recent years. The company has consistently earned 4.3% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 68% in that time. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

In Conclusion...

Long story short, while Orient Overseas (International) has been reinvesting its capital, the returns that it's generating haven't increased. Investors must think there's better things to come because the stock has knocked it out of the park, delivering a 816% gain to shareholders who have held over the last five years. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward.

One final note, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Orient Overseas (International) (including 2 which are a bit unpleasant) .

While Orient Overseas (International) 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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