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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, the ROCE of ISU Petasys (KRX:007660) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us.
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 ISU Petasys is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.20 = ₩74b ÷ (₩659b - ₩297b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).
So, ISU Petasys has an ROCE of 20%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Electronic industry average of 6.9%.
Check out our latest analysis for ISU Petasys
Above you can see how the current ROCE for ISU Petasys compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering ISU Petasys for free.
The trends we've noticed at ISU Petasys are quite reassuring. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 20%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 79% 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.
In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 45%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. This tells us that ISU Petasys has grown its returns without a reliance on increasing their current liabilities, which we're very happy with. Nevertheless, there are some potential risks the company is bearing with current liabilities that high, so just keep that in mind.
All in all, it's terrific to see that ISU Petasys is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a staggering 917% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. 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.
If you want to know some of the risks facing ISU Petasys we've found 3 warning signs (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning 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.