China Kepei Education Group's (HKG:1890) Profits Appear To Have Quality Issues

China Kepei Education Group Limited's (HKG:1890) robust recent earnings didn't do much to move the stock. We believe that shareholders have noticed some concerning factors beyond the statutory profit numbers.

Check out our latest analysis for China Kepei Education Group

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand China Kepei Education Group's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from CN¥71m worth of unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. 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 China Kepei Education Group's Profit Performance

We'd posit that China Kepei Education Group's statutory earnings aren't a clean read on ongoing productivity, due to the large unusual item. Because of this, we think that it may be that China Kepei Education Group's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. Nonetheless, it's still worth noting that its earnings per share have grown at 36% over the last three years. 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. Ultimately, this article has formed an opinion based on historical data. However, it can also be great to think about what analysts are forecasting for the future. At Simply Wall St, we have analyst estimates which you can view by clicking here.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of China Kepei Education Group'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. 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.