Does Allison Transmission Holdings (NYSE:ALSN) Have The Makings Of A Multi-Bagger?

What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing 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, we've noticed some promising trends at Allison Transmission Holdings (NYSE:ALSN) so let's look a bit deeper.

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. The formula for this calculation on Allison Transmission Holdings is:

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

0.16 = US$687m ÷ (US$4.6b - US$356m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).

Therefore, Allison Transmission Holdings has an ROCE of 16%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 9.2% generated by the Machinery industry.

View our latest analysis for Allison Transmission Holdings

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In the above chart we have measured Allison Transmission Holdings' 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 Allison Transmission Holdings.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

Allison Transmission Holdings is showing promise given that its ROCE is trending up and to the right. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 25% over the last five years. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

What We Can Learn From Allison Transmission Holdings' ROCE

To sum it up, Allison Transmission Holdings is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. Considering the stock has delivered 38% to its stockholders over the last five years, it may be fair to think that investors aren't fully aware of the promising trends yet. So with that in mind, we think the stock deserves further research.

One more thing to note, we've identified 2 warning signs with Allison Transmission Holdings and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

While Allison Transmission Holdings isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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