Are Dromeas's (ATH:DROME) Statutory Earnings A Good Reflection Of Its Earnings Potential?

It might be old fashioned, but we really like to invest in companies that make a profit, each and every year. 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. This article will consider whether Dromeas' (ATH:DROME) statutory profits are a good guide to its underlying earnings.

While Dromeas was able to generate revenue of €19.7m in the last twelve months, we think its profit result of €952.6k was more important. The good news is that the company managed to grow its revenue over the last three years, and also move from loss-making to profitable.

View our latest analysis for Dromeas

Of course, when it comes to statutory profit, the devil is often in the detail, and we can get a better sense for a company by diving deeper into the financial statements. This article, will discuss how a tax benefit impacted Dromeas' most recent profit results. Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Dromeas.

An Unusual Tax Situation

Dromeas reported a tax benefit of €383k, which is well worth noting. This is meaningful because companies usually pay tax rather than receive tax benefits. We're sure the company was pleased with its tax benefit. And since it previously lost money, it may well simply indicate the realisation of 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. In the likely event the tax benefit is not repeated, we'd expect to see its statutory profit levels drop, at least in the absence of strong growth.

Our Take On Dromeas' Profit Performance

Dromeas reported that it received a tax benefit, rather than paid tax, in its last report. As a result we don't think its profit result, which includes that tax-boost, is a good guide to its sustainable profit levels. Because of this, we think that it may be that Dromeas' statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. On the bright side, the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money last year. Of course, we've only just scratched the surface when it comes to analysing its earnings; one could also consider margins, forecast growth, and return on investment, among other factors. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. When we did our research, we found 2 warning signs for Dromeas (1 is a bit concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Dromeas' profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. 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. 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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