Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in NPK International's (NYSE:NR) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

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 NPK International, this is the formula:

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

0.12 = US$40m ÷ (US$390m - US$51m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

So, NPK International has an ROCE of 12%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 10% generated by the Energy Services industry.

See our latest analysis for NPK International

Above you can see how the current ROCE for NPK International compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for NPK International .

So How Is NPK International's ROCE Trending?

NPK International has not disappointed in regards to ROCE growth. The data shows that returns on capital have increased by 117% over the trailing five years. That's a very favorable trend because this means that the company is earning more per dollar of capital that's being employed. Interestingly, the business may be becoming more efficient because it's applying 57% less capital than it was five years ago. If this trend continues, the business might be getting more efficient but it's shrinking in terms of total assets.

What We Can Learn From NPK International's ROCE

In a nutshell, we're pleased to see that NPK International has been able to generate higher returns from less capital. Considering the stock has delivered 15% to its stockholders over the last five years, it may be fair to think that investors aren't fully aware of the promising trends yet. Given that, we'd look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term.

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

While NPK International 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 free list here.

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