Canacol Energy (TSE:CNE) Might Have The Makings Of A Multi-Bagger

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Canacol Energy (TSE:CNE) so let's look a bit deeper.

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

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Canacol Energy:

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

0.14 = US$148m ÷ (US$1.2b - US$165m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Therefore, Canacol Energy has an ROCE of 14%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Oil and Gas industry average of 8.7% it's much better.

Check out our latest analysis for Canacol Energy

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Canacol Energy 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 Canacol Energy .

What Does the ROCE Trend For Canacol Energy Tell Us?

The trends we've noticed at Canacol Energy are quite reassuring. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 14%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 68%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

What We Can Learn From Canacol Energy's ROCE

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 Canacol Energy has. Although the company may be facing some issues elsewhere since the stock has plunged 70% in the last five years. In any case, we believe the economic trends of this company are positive and looking into the stock further could prove rewarding.

Canacol Energy does come with some risks though, we found 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 2 of those can't be ignored...

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.

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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.