If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So on that note, GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for GlobalFoundries, this is the formula:

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

0.054 = US$826m ÷ (US$18b - US$2.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2024).

So, GlobalFoundries has an ROCE of 5.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Semiconductor industry average of 8.6%.

Above you can see how the current ROCE for GlobalFoundries compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for GlobalFoundries .

What Does the ROCE Trend For GlobalFoundries Tell Us?

GlobalFoundries has recently broken into profitability so their prior investments seem to be paying off. About four years ago the company was generating losses but things have turned around because it's now earning 5.4% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 42% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. We like this trend, because it tells us the company has profitable reinvestment opportunities available to it, and if it continues going forward that can lead to a multi-bagger performance.

The Bottom Line On GlobalFoundries' ROCE

To the delight of most shareholders, GlobalFoundries has now broken into profitability. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 35% in the last three years. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation.

While GlobalFoundries may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity.

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.