Return Trends At NiSource (NYSE:NI) Aren't Appealing

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating NiSource (NYSE:NI), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

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Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on NiSource is:

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

0.054 = US$1.6b ÷ (US$34b - US$3.4b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2025).

So, NiSource has an ROCE of 5.4%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 5.1%, it's still a low return by itself.

View our latest analysis for NiSource

Above you can see how the current ROCE for NiSource compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for NiSource .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

The returns on capital haven't changed much for NiSource in recent years. The company has consistently earned 5.4% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 59% in that time. This poor ROCE doesn't inspire confidence right now, and with the increase in capital employed, it's evident that the business isn't deploying the funds into high return investments.

What We Can Learn From NiSource's ROCE

As we've seen above, NiSource's returns on capital haven't increased but it is reinvesting in the business. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 123% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

On a final note, we found 2 warning signs for NiSource (1 is potentially serious) you should be aware of.

While NiSource 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.