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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Ergo, when we looked at the ROCE trends at Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST), we liked what we saw.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for Ross Stores, this is the formula:

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

0.26 = US$2.6b ÷ (US$15b - US$4.8b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to November 2024).

Therefore, Ross Stores has an ROCE of 26%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Specialty Retail industry average of 13%.

Check out our latest analysis for Ross Stores

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Ross Stores 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 Ross Stores .

What Can We Tell From Ross Stores' ROCE Trend?

In terms of Ross Stores' history of ROCE, it's quite impressive. The company has consistently earned 26% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 53% in that time. Now considering ROCE is an attractive 26%, this combination is actually pretty appealing because it means the business can consistently put money to work and generate these high returns. If these trends can continue, it wouldn't surprise us if the company became a multi-bagger.

The Bottom Line

Ross Stores has demonstrated its proficiency by generating high returns on increasing amounts of capital employed, which we're thrilled about. And given the stock has only risen 38% over the last five years, we'd suspect the market is beginning to recognize these trends. That's why it could be worth your time looking into this stock further to discover if it has more traits of a multi-bagger.

While Ross Stores looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic for ROST helps visualize whether it is currently trading for a fair price.

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.

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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.