Impressive Earnings May Not Tell The Whole Story For Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança (BVMF:SMFT3)

Despite posting some strong earnings, the market for Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança S.A.'s (BVMF:SMFT3) stock hasn't moved much. We did some digging, and we found some concerning factors in the details.

View our latest analysis for Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança

An Unusual Tax Situation

We can see that Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança received a tax benefit of R$473m. It's always a bit noteworthy when a company is paid by the tax man, rather than paying the tax man. We're sure the company was pleased with its tax benefit. And given that it lost money last year, it seems possible that the benefit is evidence that it now expects to find value in its past tax losses. However, the devil in the detail is that these kind of benefits only impact in the year they are booked, and are often one-off in nature. Assuming the tax benefit is not repeated every year, we could see its profitability drop noticeably, all else being equal. So while we think it's great to receive a tax benefit, it does tend to imply an increased risk that the statutory profit overstates the sustainable earnings power of the business.

That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates.

Our Take On Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança's Profit Performance

As we have already discussed Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança reported that it received a tax benefit, rather than paying tax, in the last year. Given that sort of benefit is not recurring, a focus on the statutory profit might make the company seem better than it really is. Therefore, it seems possible to us that Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança's true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. 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. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Smartfit Escola de Ginástica e Dança's 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.

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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.