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. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, 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. Ergo, when we looked at the ROCE trends at Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET), we liked what we saw.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Arista Networks:

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

0.28 = US$2.3b ÷ (US$9.9b - US$1.9b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Arista Networks has an ROCE of 28%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 7.9% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Arista Networks

In the above chart we have measured Arista Networks' 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 Arista Networks for free.

So How Is Arista Networks' ROCE Trending?

Arista Networks deserves to be commended in regards to it's returns. The company has consistently earned 28% for the last five years, and the capital employed within the business has risen 225% in that time. With returns that high, it's great that the business can continually reinvest its money at such appealing rates of return. If Arista Networks can keep this up, we'd be very optimistic about its future.

The Key Takeaway

In the end, the company has proven it can reinvest it's capital at high rates of returns, which you'll remember is a trait of a multi-bagger. And long term investors would be thrilled with the 276% return they've received over the last five years. So even though the stock might be more "expensive" than it was before, we think the strong fundamentals warrant this stock for further research.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Arista Networks that you might find interesting.

High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks 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.