What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Oceania Healthcare (NZSE:OCA), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Oceania Healthcare:

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

0.000051 = NZ$77k ÷ (NZ$2.5b - NZ$932m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

So, Oceania Healthcare has an ROCE of 0.005%.  On its own that's a low return on capital but it's in line with the industry's average returns of 0.3%.

See our latest analysis for Oceania Healthcare  roce

In the above chart we have measured Oceania Healthcare's 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 freereport on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Can We Tell From Oceania Healthcare's ROCE Trend?

In terms of Oceania Healthcare's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 1.5% over the last five years. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

On a side note, Oceania Healthcare's current liabilities have increased over the last five years to 38% of total assets, effectively distorting the ROCE to some degree. If current liabilities hadn't increased as much as they did, the ROCE could actually be even lower. Keep an eye on this ratio, because the business could encounter some new risks if this metric gets too high.



The Bottom Line

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Oceania Healthcare's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Unsurprisingly then, the total return to shareholders over the last five years has been flat. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think Oceania Healthcare has the makings of a multi-bagger.

On a final note, we found 4 warning signs for Oceania Healthcare (1 is concerning)  you should be aware of.

While Oceania Healthcare may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this freelist here.

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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