Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) Is Doing The Right Things To Multiply Its Share Price

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'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) so let's look a bit deeper.

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 Federal Signal is:

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

0.12 = US$161m ÷ (US$1.5b - US$181m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

Thus, Federal Signal has an ROCE of 12%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 12%.

Check out our latest analysis for Federal Signal

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Federal Signal 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 Federal Signal.

The Trend Of ROCE

We like the trends that we're seeing from Federal Signal. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 12%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 54%. 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.

In Conclusion...

To sum it up, Federal Signal has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.

While Federal Signal looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether FSS is currently trading for a fair price.

While Federal Signal 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.