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. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding 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. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Astra Microwave Products (NSE:ASTRAMICRO) so let's look a bit deeper.
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 Astra Microwave Products is:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.19 = ₹2.5b ÷ (₹18b - ₹4.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2025).
Therefore, Astra Microwave Products has an ROCE of 19%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 8.2% generated by the Communications industry.
See our latest analysis for Astra Microwave Products
In the above chart we have measured Astra Microwave Products' 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 Astra Microwave Products for free.
Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Astra Microwave Products. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 19%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 148% more capital is being employed now too. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed.
On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 26%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. So shareholders would be pleased that the growth in returns has mostly come from underlying business performance.
A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Astra Microwave Products has. And a remarkable 714% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. Therefore, we think it would be worth your time to check if these trends are going to continue.
On the other side of ROCE, we have to consider valuation. That's why we have a FREE intrinsic value estimation for ASTRAMICRO on our platform that is definitely worth checking out.
While Astra Microwave Products 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.