Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. However, after investigating Wagners Holding (ASX:WGN), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What Is 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. The formula for this calculation on Wagners Holding is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.033 = AU$10m ÷ (AU$413m - AU$102m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

Therefore, Wagners Holding has an ROCE of 3.3%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Basic Materials industry average of 3.5%.

View our latest analysis for Wagners Holding  roce

In the above chart we have measured Wagners Holding's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Wagners Holding here  for free.

So How Is Wagners Holding's ROCE Trending?

In terms of Wagners Holding's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 36%, but since then they've fallen to 3.3%. Although, given both revenue and the amount of assets employed in the business have increased, it could suggest the company is investing in growth, and the extra capital has led to a short-term reduction in ROCE. And if the increased capital generates additional returns, the business, and thus shareholders, will benefit in the long run.

In Conclusion...

While returns have fallen for Wagners Holding in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. Despite these promising trends, the stock has collapsed 87% over the last five years, so there could be other factors hurting the company's prospects. Therefore, we'd suggest researching the stock further to uncover more about the business.



Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted  3 warning signs for Wagners Holding  (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should know about.

While Wagners Holding isn't earning the highest return, check out this freelist of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.

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