There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. 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. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Kanzhun (NASDAQ:BZ) so let's look a bit deeper.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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 Kanzhun is:

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

0.078 = CN¥1.2b ÷ (CN¥19b - CN¥4.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

Thus, Kanzhun has an ROCE of 7.8%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 7.4% average generated by the Interactive Media and Services industry.

View our latest analysis for Kanzhun

In the above chart we have measured Kanzhun'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 Kanzhun .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

We're delighted to see that Kanzhun is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's earning 7.8% which is a sight for sore eyes. In addition to that, Kanzhun is employing 1,635% more capital than previously which is expected of a company that's trying to break into profitability. We like this trend, because it tells us the company has profitable reinvestment opportunities available to it, and if it continues going forward that can lead to a multi-bagger performance.

On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 22%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books.

What We Can Learn From Kanzhun's ROCE

Overall, Kanzhun gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. And since the stock has fallen 39% over the last three years, there might be an opportunity here. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

Before jumping to any conclusions though, we need to know what value we're getting for the current share price. That's where you can check out our FREE intrinsic value estimation for BZ that compares the share price and estimated value.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

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.