There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount 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. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in KPIT Technologies' (NSE:KPITTECH) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on KPIT Technologies is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.27 = ₹10b ÷ (₹67b - ₹28b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2025).
Thus, KPIT Technologies has an ROCE of 27%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 11% earned by companies in a similar industry.
Check out our latest analysis for KPIT Technologies
Above you can see how the current ROCE for KPIT Technologies 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 analyst report for KPIT Technologies .
The trends we've noticed at KPIT Technologies are quite reassuring. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 27%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 198% 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.
For the record though, there was a noticeable increase in the company's current liabilities over the period, so we would attribute some of the ROCE growth to that. The current liabilities has increased to 42% of total assets, so the business is now more funded by the likes of its suppliers or short-term creditors. Given it's pretty high ratio, we'd remind investors that having current liabilities at those levels can bring about some risks in certain businesses.
All in all, it's terrific to see that KPIT Technologies is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a staggering 1,061% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if KPIT Technologies can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.
One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with KPIT Technologies and understanding this should be part of your investment process.
KPIT Technologies is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.
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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.