Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) Is Looking To Continue Growing Its Returns On Capital

If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So when we looked at Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

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 Applied Industrial Technologies is:

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

0.19 = US$488m ÷ (US$3.0b - US$478m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

So, Applied Industrial Technologies has an ROCE of 19%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 12% generated by the Trade Distributors industry.

View our latest analysis for Applied Industrial Technologies

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Applied Industrial Technologies 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 Applied Industrial Technologies for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Applied Industrial Technologies Tell Us?

Applied Industrial Technologies is displaying some positive trends. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 19%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 29%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers.

Our Take On Applied Industrial Technologies' ROCE

To sum it up, Applied Industrial Technologies has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And a remarkable 320% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

Applied Industrial Technologies does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Applied Industrial Technologies that you might be interested in.

While Applied Industrial Technologies 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.