If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating EROAD (NZSE:ERD), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.
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. The formula for this calculation on EROAD is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.019 = NZ$4.3m ÷ (NZ$317m - NZ$88m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2025).
Thus, EROAD has an ROCE of 1.9%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Electronic industry average of 8.0%.
View our latest analysis for EROAD
Above you can see how the current ROCE for EROAD 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 EROAD for free.
What Can We Tell From EROAD's ROCE Trend?
On the surface, the trend of ROCE at EROAD doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 4.2%, but since then they've fallen to 1.9%. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.
The Bottom Line
In summary, EROAD is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Since the stock has declined 64% over the last five years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think EROAD has the makings of a multi-bagger.
If you'd like to know about the risks facing EROAD, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.