If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Reliance Worldwide (ASX:RWC) so let's look a bit deeper.

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 Reliance Worldwide, this is the formula:

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

0.11 = US$197m ÷ (US$2.0b - US$196m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, Reliance Worldwide has an ROCE of 11%. That's a pretty standard return and it's in line with the industry average of 11%.

See our latest analysis for Reliance Worldwide

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Reliance Worldwide compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Reliance Worldwide .

How Are Returns Trending?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Reliance Worldwide. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 11%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 39% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

In Conclusion...

All in all, it's terrific to see that Reliance Worldwide is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And with a respectable 60% awarded to those who held the stock over the last five years, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

Reliance Worldwide does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Reliance Worldwide that you might be interested in.

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.

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.