Transfar Zhilian's (SZSE:002010) Anemic Earnings Might Be Worse Than You Think

A lackluster earnings announcement from Transfar Zhilian Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002010) last week didn't sink the stock price. However, we believe that investors should be aware of some underlying factors which may be of concern.

See our latest analysis for Transfar Zhilian

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

To properly understand Transfar Zhilian's profit results, we need to consider the CN¥253m gain attributed to unusual items. We can't deny that higher profits generally leave us optimistic, but we'd prefer it if the profit were to be sustainable. When we crunched the numbers on thousands of publicly listed companies, we found that a boost from unusual items in a given year is often not repeated the next year. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. Assuming those unusual items don't show up again in the current year, we'd thus expect profit to be weaker next year (in the absence of business growth, that is).

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 Transfar Zhilian's Profit Performance

Arguably, Transfar Zhilian's statutory earnings have been distorted by unusual items boosting profit. Because of this, we think that it may be that Transfar Zhilian's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. For example, Transfar Zhilian has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) we think you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Transfar Zhilian's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good sign of a quality business. 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. 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.