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What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in tinyBuild's (LON:TBLD) 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. To calculate this metric for tinyBuild, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.17 = US$18m ÷ (US$120m - US$13m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2021).
Thus, tinyBuild has an ROCE of 17%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 16% generated by the Entertainment industry.
Check out our latest analysis for tinyBuild
Above you can see how the current ROCE for tinyBuild 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?
tinyBuild is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last four years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 17%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 1,746%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.
On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 11%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. So shareholders would be pleased that the growth in returns has mostly come from underlying business performance.
The Key Takeaway
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 tinyBuild has. Given the stock has declined 31% in the last year, this could be a good investment if the valuation and other metrics are also appealing. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.
One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing tinyBuild that you might find interesting.