What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI), 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. The formula for this calculation on Service Corporation International is:

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

0.056 = US$932m ÷ (US$17b - US$724m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

Therefore, Service Corporation International has an ROCE of 5.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Consumer Services industry average of 9.7%.

View our latest analysis for Service Corporation International

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Service Corporation International 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 Service Corporation International for free.

What Can We Tell From Service Corporation International's ROCE Trend?

In terms of Service Corporation International's historical ROCE trend, it doesn't exactly demand attention. The company has consistently earned 5.6% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 27% in that time. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

What We Can Learn From Service Corporation International's ROCE

As we've seen above, Service Corporation International's returns on capital haven't increased but it is reinvesting in the business. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 133% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Service Corporation International and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

While Service Corporation 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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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.