There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. With that in mind, the ROCE of Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Old Dominion Freight Line:

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

0.43 = US$1.8b ÷ (US$4.8b - US$639m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

Therefore, Old Dominion Freight Line has an ROCE of 43%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 15% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Old Dominion Freight Line

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Old Dominion Freight Line 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 Old Dominion Freight Line here for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

We like the trends that we're seeing from Old Dominion Freight Line. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 43%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 60%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Old Dominion Freight Line thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

What We Can Learn From Old Dominion Freight Line's ROCE

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Old Dominion Freight Line has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Old Dominion Freight Line can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

Old Dominion Freight Line does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Old Dominion Freight Line that you might be interested in.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high 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.

Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here