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Shareholders Are Optimistic That ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) Will Multiply In Value

If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. 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. With that in mind, the ROCE of ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) looks attractive right now, so lets see what the trend of returns can tell us.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

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 ePlus:

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

0.21 = US$148m ÷ (US$1.2b - US$460m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2022).

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Thus, ePlus has an ROCE of 21%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Electronic industry average of 11%.

See our latest analysis for ePlus

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roce

In the above chart we have measured ePlus' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for ePlus.

What Does the ROCE Trend For ePlus Tell Us?

It's hard not to be impressed by ePlus' returns on capital. The company has consistently earned 21% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 93% in that time. Now considering ROCE is an attractive 21%, this combination is actually pretty appealing because it means the business can consistently put money to work and generate these high returns. If these trends can continue, it wouldn't surprise us if the company became a multi-bagger.

One more thing to note, even though ROCE has remained relatively flat over the last five years, the reduction in current liabilities to 39% of total assets, is good to see from a business owner's perspective. This can eliminate some of the risks inherent in the operations because the business has less outstanding obligations to their suppliers and or short-term creditors than they did previously.

What We Can Learn From ePlus' ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that ePlus has been compounding returns by reinvesting at consistently high rates of return, as these are common traits of a multi-bagger. In light of this, the stock has only gained 40% over the last five years for shareholders who have owned the stock in this period. So to determine if ePlus is a multi-bagger going forward, we'd suggest digging deeper into the company's other fundamentals.

ePlus does have some risks, we noticed 2 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.