Maike Tube Industry Holdings' (HKG:1553) Earnings Are Weaker Than They Seem

Maike Tube Industry Holdings Limited (HKG:1553) announced strong profits, but the stock was stagnant. Our analysis suggests that shareholders have noticed something concerning in the numbers.

Check out our latest analysis for Maike Tube Industry Holdings

A Closer Look At Maike Tube Industry Holdings' Earnings

Many investors haven't heard of the accrual ratio from cashflow, but it is actually a useful measure of how well a company's profit is backed up by free cash flow (FCF) during a given period. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. This ratio tells us how much of a company's profit is not backed by free cashflow.

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. That is not intended to imply we should worry about a positive accrual ratio, but it's worth noting where the accrual ratio is rather high. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.

Maike Tube Industry Holdings has an accrual ratio of 0.41 for the year to June 2024. As a general rule, that bodes poorly for future profitability. And indeed, during the period the company didn't produce any free cash flow whatsoever. In the last twelve months it actually had negative free cash flow, with an outflow of CN¥201m despite its profit of CN¥163.0m, mentioned above. It's worth noting that Maike Tube Industry Holdings generated positive FCF of CN¥111m a year ago, so at least they've done it in the past.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Maike Tube Industry Holdings.

Our Take On Maike Tube Industry Holdings' Profit Performance

As we have made quite clear, we're a bit worried that Maike Tube Industry Holdings didn't back up the last year's profit with free cashflow. For this reason, we think that Maike Tube Industry Holdings' statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. Nonetheless, it's still worth noting that its earnings per share have grown at 48% over the last three years. 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. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Maike Tube Industry Holdings (1 can't be ignored) you should be familiar with.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Maike Tube Industry Holdings' 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. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with high insider ownership.

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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.