If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look 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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So, when we ran our eye over Alumasc Group's (LON:ALU) trend of ROCE, we liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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. To calculate this metric for Alumasc Group, this is the formula:

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

0.18 = UK£9.9m ÷ (UK£73m - UK£19m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).

So, Alumasc Group has an ROCE of 18%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 15% generated by the Building industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Alumasc Group

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Alumasc Group compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Alumasc Group Tell Us?

The trend of ROCE doesn't stand out much, but returns on a whole are decent. The company has employed 30% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 18%. 18% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that Alumasc Group has consistently earned this amount. Stable returns in this ballpark can be unexciting, but if they can be maintained over the long run, they often provide nice rewards to shareholders.

On a side note, Alumasc Group has done well to reduce current liabilities to 25% of total assets over the last five years. Effectively suppliers now fund less of the business, which can lower some elements of risk.

What We Can Learn From Alumasc Group's ROCE

To sum it up, Alumasc Group has simply been reinvesting capital steadily, at those decent rates of return. However, over the last five years, the stock has only delivered a 5.0% return to shareholders who held over that period. So to determine if Alumasc Group is a multi-bagger going forward, we'd suggest digging deeper into the company's other fundamentals.

One more thing, we've spotted 3 warning signs facing Alumasc Group that you might find interesting.

While Alumasc Group isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.

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