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. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think B.O.S. Better Online Solutions (NASDAQ:BOSC) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

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. The formula for this calculation on B.O.S. Better Online Solutions is:

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

0.049 = US$807k ÷ (US$27m - US$10m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

Thus, B.O.S. Better Online Solutions has an ROCE of 4.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Communications industry average of 9.0%.

Check out our latest analysis for B.O.S. Better Online Solutions

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for B.O.S. Better Online Solutions' ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of B.O.S. Better Online Solutions, check out these free graphs here.

What Can We Tell From B.O.S. Better Online Solutions' ROCE Trend?

There are better returns on capital out there than what we're seeing at B.O.S. Better Online Solutions. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 4.9% and the business has deployed 39% more capital into its operations. Given the company has increased the amount of capital employed, it appears the investments that have been made simply don't provide a high return on capital.

Our Take On B.O.S. Better Online Solutions' ROCE

In summary, B.O.S. Better Online Solutions has simply been reinvesting capital and generating the same low rate of return as before. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 13% to shareholders over the last five years. So if you're looking for a multi-bagger, the underlying trends indicate you may have better chances elsewhere.

If you'd like to know more about B.O.S. Better Online Solutions, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them is a bit concerning.