If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Sime Darby Berhad's (KLSE:SIME) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding 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. The formula for this calculation on Sime Darby Berhad is:

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

0.089 = RM1.7b ÷ (RM30b - RM11b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

Thus, Sime Darby Berhad has an ROCE of 8.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Industrials industry average of 10%.

Check out our latest analysis for Sime Darby Berhad

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Sime Darby Berhad compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

How Are Returns Trending?

We're pretty happy with how the ROCE has been trending at Sime Darby Berhad. We found that the returns on capital employed over the last five years have risen by 537%. The company is now earning RM0.09 per dollar of capital employed. Speaking of capital employed, the company is actually utilizing 57% less than it was five years ago, which can be indicative of a business that's improving its efficiency. A business that's shrinking its asset base like this isn't usually typical of a soon to be multi-bagger company.

The Bottom Line

In summary, it's great to see that Sime Darby Berhad has been able to turn things around and earn higher returns on lower amounts of capital. And given the stock has remained rather flat over the last five years, there might be an opportunity here if other metrics are strong. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Sime Darby Berhad 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.

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.

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