We Think You Should Be Aware Of Some Concerning Factors In SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)'s (HKG:6600) Earnings

SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings) Limited's (HKG:6600) 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.

View our latest analysis for SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)

A Closer Look At SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)'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. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.

As a result, a negative accrual ratio is a positive for the company, and a positive accrual ratio is a negative. 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.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings) has an accrual ratio of 0.37 for the year to June 2021. Ergo, its free cash flow is significantly weaker than its profit. As a general rule, that bodes poorly for future profitability. To wit, it produced free cash flow of CN¥358m during the period, falling well short of its reported profit of CN¥779.3m. SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)'s free cash flow actually declined over the last year, but it may bounce back next year, since free cash flow is often more volatile than accounting profits. The good news for shareholders is that SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)'s accrual ratio was much better last year, so this year's poor reading might simply be a case of a short term mismatch between profit and FCF. As a result, some shareholders may be looking for stronger cash conversion in the current year.

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 SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)'s Profit Performance

As we have made quite clear, we're a bit worried that SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings) didn't back up the last year's profit with free cashflow. For this reason, we think that SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)'s statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. But on the bright side, its earnings per share have grown at an extremely impressive rate 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 example, we've found that SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings) has 3 warning signs (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Holdings)'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.

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.

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