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To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Auction Technology Group (LON:ATG) so let's look a bit deeper.
Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Auction Technology Group, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.0019 = UK£1.1m ÷ (UK£619m - UK£19m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2021).
So, Auction Technology Group has an ROCE of 0.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Online Retail industry average of 17%.
See our latest analysis for Auction Technology Group
Above you can see how the current ROCE for Auction Technology Group 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 report for Auction Technology Group.
What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us
The fact that Auction Technology Group is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. About five years ago the company was generating losses but things have turned around because it's now earning 0.2% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 1,568% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. We like this trend, because it tells us the company has profitable reinvestment opportunities available to it, and if it continues going forward that can lead to a multi-bagger performance.
One more thing to note, Auction Technology Group has decreased current liabilities to 3.1% of total assets over this period, which effectively reduces the amount of funding from suppliers or short-term creditors. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books.
Our Take On Auction Technology Group's ROCE
In summary, it's great to see that Auction Technology Group has managed to break into profitability and is continuing to reinvest in its business. And with a respectable 18% awarded to those who held the stock over the last year, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.