If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out 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. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Bosch (NSE:BOSCHLTD) 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. To calculate this metric for Bosch, this is the formula:
Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)
0.15 = ₹22b ÷ (₹203b - ₹61b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2025).
Thus, Bosch has an ROCE of 15%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Auto Components industry average of 13%.
See our latest analysis for Bosch
In the above chart we have measured Bosch's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Bosch .
We like the trends that we're seeing from Bosch. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 15%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 55% 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.
All in all, it's terrific to see that Bosch is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Bosch can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.
On a separate note, we've found 2 warning signs for Bosch you'll probably want to know about.
If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.
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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.