If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at Rollins' (NYSE:ROL) look very promising so lets take a look.

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Understanding 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 Rollins:

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

0.29 = US$667m ÷ (US$2.9b - US$637m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2025).

Thus, Rollins has an ROCE of 29%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Commercial Services industry average of 10%.

See our latest analysis for Rollins

In the above chart we have measured Rollins' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Rollins .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

We like the trends that we're seeing from Rollins. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 29%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 71%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

Our Take On Rollins' ROCE

All in all, it's terrific to see that Rollins is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a staggering 102% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

While Rollins looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic for ROL 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.

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.