There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Array Technologies' (NASDAQ:ARRY) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Array Technologies, this is the formula:

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

0.091 = US$119m ÷ (US$1.7b - US$338m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

Thus, Array Technologies has an ROCE of 9.1%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Electrical industry average of 12%.

Check out our latest analysis for Array Technologies

In the above chart we have measured Array Technologies' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Array Technologies for free.

What Can We Tell From Array Technologies' ROCE Trend?

Even though ROCE is still low in absolute terms, it's good to see it's heading in the right direction. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 9.1%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 271% more capital is being employed now too. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

One more thing to note, Array Technologies has decreased current liabilities to 20% of total assets over this period, which effectively reduces the amount of funding from suppliers or short-term creditors. So this improvement in ROCE has come from the business' underlying economics, which is great to see.

The Bottom Line On Array Technologies' 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 Array Technologies has. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 68% in the last three years. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.