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'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) (HKG:317) so let's look a bit deeper.

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Understanding 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. To calculate this metric for CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group), this is the formula:

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

0.00018 = CN¥4.8m ÷ (CN¥54b - CN¥26b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

So, CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) has an ROCE of 0.02%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Machinery industry average of 7.6%.

See our latest analysis for CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group)

In the above chart we have measured CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group)'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 CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) for free.

So How Is CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group)'s ROCE Trending?

We're delighted to see that CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) is reaping rewards from its investments and has now broken into profitability. While the business was unprofitable in the past, it's now turned things around and is earning 0.02% on its capital. Interestingly, the capital employed by the business has remained relatively flat, so these higher returns are either from prior investments paying off or increased efficiencies. 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. So if you're looking for high growth, you'll want to see a business's capital employed also increasing.

On a separate but related note, it's important to know that CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 49%, which we'd consider pretty high. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower.

The Bottom Line On CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group)'s ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) has been able to increase efficiencies and earn higher rates of return on the same amount of capital. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group), we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

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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.