Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, 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. So when we looked at Nova Measuring Instruments (NASDAQ:NVMI) and its trend of ROCE, we really 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 Nova Measuring Instruments, this is the formula:

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

0.10 = US$62m ÷ (US$688m - US$74m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2021).

Thus, Nova Measuring Instruments has an ROCE of 10%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 11% generated by the Semiconductor industry.

View our latest analysis for Nova Measuring Instruments

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Nova Measuring Instruments compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Nova Measuring Instruments here for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Nova Measuring Instruments is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 10%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 252% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

In Conclusion...

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Nova Measuring Instruments has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Nova Measuring Instruments can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Nova Measuring Instruments that you might find interesting.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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