There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing 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 Genex Power (ASX:GNX) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Genex Power:

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

0.012 = AU$4.2m ÷ (AU$360m - AU$22m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Therefore, Genex Power has an ROCE of 1.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Renewable Energy industry average of 4.5%.

See our latest analysis for Genex Power

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Genex Power 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 Genex Power here for free.

So How Is Genex Power's ROCE Trending?

We're delighted to see that Genex Power is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. About five years ago the company was generating losses but things have turned around because it's now earning 1.2% on its capital. In addition to that, Genex Power is employing 2,647% 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.

In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 6.2%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. So shareholders would be pleased that the growth in returns has mostly come from underlying business performance.

Our Take On Genex Power's ROCE

Overall, Genex Power 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 investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 64% return over the last five years. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Genex Power can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

On a separate note, we've found 2 warning signs for Genex Power you'll probably want to know about.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

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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