If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base 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 Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings' (HKG:2298) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
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 Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.053 = CN¥134m ÷ (CN¥3.6b - CN¥1.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2025).
So, Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings has an ROCE of 5.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Luxury industry average of 14%.
View our latest analysis for Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings
In the above chart we have measured Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings .
Shareholders will be relieved that Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings has broken into profitability. While the business was unprofitable in the past, it's now turned things around and is earning 5.3% on its capital. On top of that, what's interesting is that the amount of capital being employed has remained steady, so the business hasn't needed to put any additional money to work to generate these higher returns. That being said, while an increase in efficiency is no doubt appealing, it'd be helpful to know if the company does have any investment plans going forward. After all, a company can only become a long term multi-bagger if it continually reinvests in itself at high rates of return.
To sum it up, Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. Although the company may be facing some issues elsewhere since the stock has plunged 79% in the last five years. Regardless, we think the underlying fundamentals warrant this stock for further investigation.
On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for Cosmo Lady (China) Holdings that we think you should be aware of.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.
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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.