Under The Bonnet, Magnolia Oil & Gas' (NYSE:MGY) Returns Look Impressive

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. 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 Magnolia Oil & Gas' (NYSE:MGY) 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 Magnolia Oil & Gas is:

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

0.33 = US$758m ÷ (US$2.6b - US$263m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, Magnolia Oil & Gas has an ROCE of 33%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 21% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Magnolia Oil & Gas

In the above chart we have measured Magnolia Oil & Gas' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Magnolia Oil & Gas here for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Magnolia Oil & Gas. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 33%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 256% more capital is being employed now too. 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.

The Key Takeaway

All in all, it's terrific to see that Magnolia Oil & Gas is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a solid 66% to shareholders over the last five years, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Magnolia Oil & Gas (including 1 which shouldn't be ignored) .

High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks 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.