Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So on that note, ChugokukogyoLtd (TSE:5974) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.
If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for ChugokukogyoLtd:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.048 = JP¥412m ÷ (JP¥12b - JP¥3.9b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2025).
Therefore, ChugokukogyoLtd has an ROCE of 4.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Packaging industry average of 6.3%.
See our latest analysis for ChugokukogyoLtd
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 want to delve into the historical earnings , check out these free graphs detailing revenue and cash flow performance of ChugokukogyoLtd.
We're glad to see that ROCE is heading in the right direction, even if it is still low at the moment. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 4.8%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 27%. 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.
To sum it up, ChugokukogyoLtd has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Investors may not be impressed by the favorable underlying trends yet because over the last five years the stock has only returned 9.2% to shareholders. Given that, we'd look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term.
On a final note, we've found 3 warning signs for ChugokukogyoLtd that we think you should be aware of.
While ChugokukogyoLtd 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.