It's been hard to go wrong investing in home improvement over the past decade. The two most dominant U.S. retailers in the space, The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and Lowe's Companies, have trounced the broader market over the past 10 years.

Sure, you could own both, but have you ever wondered what might give one the edge over the other? Here is a financial metric that can tell a lot about a company -- and potentially be the tie-breaker between these two very similar stocks.

The cash return on capital invested (CROCI) is a fascinating metric you probably haven't heard much about (if at all).

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Source Fool.com