Investors Shouldn't Be Too Comfortable With RNI Negócios Imobiliários' (BVMF:RDNI3) Robust Earnings

Despite posting some strong earnings, the market for RNI Negócios Imobiliários S.A.'s (BVMF:RDNI3) stock hasn't moved much. We did some digging, and we found some concerning factors in the details.

Check out our latest analysis for RNI Negócios Imobiliários

Examining Cashflow Against RNI Negócios Imobiliários' Earnings

One key financial ratio used to measure how well a company converts its profit to free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio. The accrual ratio subtracts the FCF from the profit for a given period, and divides the result by the average operating assets of the company over that time. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.

Therefore, it's actually considered a good thing when a company has a negative accrual ratio, but a bad thing if its accrual ratio is positive. That is not intended to imply we should worry about a positive accrual ratio, but it's worth noting where the accrual ratio is rather high. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.

RNI Negócios Imobiliários has an accrual ratio of 0.23 for the year to September 2021. Therefore, we know that it's free cashflow was significantly lower than its statutory profit, which is hardly a good thing. Even though it reported a profit of R$19.3m, a look at free cash flow indicates it actually burnt through R$225m in the last year. Coming off the back of negative free cash flow last year, we imagine some shareholders might wonder if its cash burn of R$225m, this year, indicates high risk.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of RNI Negócios Imobiliários.

Our Take On RNI Negócios Imobiliários' Profit Performance

RNI Negócios Imobiliários' accrual ratio for the last twelve months signifies cash conversion is less than ideal, which is a negative when it comes to our view of its earnings. Because of this, we think that it may be that RNI Negócios Imobiliários' statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. The good news is that it earned a profit in the last twelve months, despite its previous loss. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company's potential, but there is plenty more to consider. If you want to do dive deeper into RNI Negócios Imobiliários, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (2 are concerning!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in RNI Negócios Imobiliários.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of RNI Negócios Imobiliários' profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to 'follow the money' and search out stocks that insiders are buying. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.

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.

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