Titan Machinery (NASDAQ:TITN) Is Doing The Right Things To Multiply Its Share Price

There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Titan Machinery's (NASDAQ:TITN) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Titan Machinery is:

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

0.16 = US$92m ÷ (US$947m - US$375m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to April 2022).

Therefore, Titan Machinery has an ROCE of 16%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Trade Distributors industry average of 14%.

View our latest analysis for Titan Machinery

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Titan Machinery compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Titan Machinery.

The Trend Of ROCE

We like the trends that we're seeing from Titan Machinery. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 16%. 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 24%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.

In Conclusion...

To sum it up, Titan Machinery has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 53% return over the last five years. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Titan Machinery and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

While Titan Machinery isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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.