Does Villars Holding's (VTX:VILN) Statutory Profit Adequately Reflect Its Underlying Profit?

Many investors consider it preferable to invest in profitable companies over unprofitable ones, because profitability suggests a business is sustainable. Having said that, sometimes statutory profit levels are not a good guide to ongoing profitability, because some short term one-off factor has impacted profit levels. Today we'll focus on whether this year's statutory profits are a good guide to understanding Villars Holding (VTX:VILN).

We like the fact that Villars Holding made a profit of CHF1.40m on its revenue of CHF78.0m, in the last year. The chart below shows that both revenue and profit have declined over the last three years.

See our latest analysis for Villars Holding

Importantly, statutory profits are not always the best tool for understanding a company's true earnings power, so it's well worth examining profits in a little more detail. This article, will discuss how a tax benefit impacted Villars Holding's most recent profit results. Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Villars Holding.

An Unusual Tax Situation

Villars Holding reported a tax benefit of CHF351k, which is well worth noting. It's always a bit noteworthy when a company is paid by the tax man, rather than paying the tax man. Of course, prima facie it's great to receive a tax benefit. However, our data indicates that tax benefits can temporarily boost statutory profit in the year it is booked, but subsequently profit may fall back. Assuming the tax benefit is not repeated every year, we could see its profitability drop noticeably, all else being equal.

Our Take On Villars Holding's Profit Performance

Villars Holding reported that it received a tax benefit, rather than paid tax, in its last report. 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 Villars Holding's true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. 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, Villars Holding has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Villars Holding'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. While it might take a little research on your behalf, you may find this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying to be useful.

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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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