TIER 1 Technology's (BME:TR1) Robust Earnings Are Supported By Other Strong Factors

TIER 1 Technology, S.A. (BME:TR1) just reported healthy earnings but the stock price didn't move much. Our analysis suggests that investors might be missing some promising details.

View our latest analysis for TIER 1 Technology

Zooming In On TIER 1 Technology's 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.

That means a negative accrual ratio is a good thing, because it shows that the company is bringing in more free cash flow than its profit would suggest. While having an accrual ratio above zero is of little concern, we do think it's worth noting when a company has a relatively high accrual ratio. Notably, there is some academic evidence that suggests that a high accrual ratio is a bad sign for near-term profits, generally speaking.

TIER 1 Technology has an accrual ratio of -0.15 for the year to December 2020. That indicates that its free cash flow quite significantly exceeded its statutory profit. Indeed, in the last twelve months it reported free cash flow of €1.3m, well over the €848.8k it reported in profit. TIER 1 Technology shareholders are no doubt pleased that free cash flow improved over the last twelve months.

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 TIER 1 Technology's Profit Performance

TIER 1 Technology's accrual ratio is solid, and indicates strong free cash flow, as we discussed, above. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that TIER 1 Technology's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And on top of that, its earnings per share increased by 33% in the last year. 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. If you want to do dive deeper into TIER 1 Technology, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Be aware that TIER 1 Technology is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis and 1 of those is concerning...

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of TIER 1 Technology'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. 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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