There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Protia's (KOSDAQ:303360) returns on capital, so let's have a look.
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. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Protia:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.11 = ₩3.2b ÷ (₩31b - ₩1.5b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2025).
So, Protia has an ROCE of 11%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 7.5% generated by the Medical Equipment industry.
View our latest analysis for Protia
While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you're interested in investigating Protia's past further, check out this free graph covering Protia's past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Protia. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 11%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 128% 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.
All in all, it's terrific to see that Protia is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Given the stock has declined 29% in the last five years, this could be a good investment if the valuation and other metrics are also appealing. That being the case, research into the company's current valuation metrics and future prospects seems fitting.
On a final note, we found 3 warning signs for Protia (1 is concerning) you should be aware of.
For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.
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