Capinfo Company Limited's (HKG:1075) earnings announcement last week was disappointing for investors, despite the decent profit numbers. We did some digging and actually think they are being unnecessarily pessimistic.
The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit
For anyone who wants to understand Capinfo's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by CN¥11m due to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. In the twelve months to June 2025, Capinfo had a big unusual items expense. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items made its statutory profit significantly weaker than it would otherwise be.
Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Capinfo.
Our Take On Capinfo's Profit Performance
As we discussed above, we think the significant unusual expense will make Capinfo's statutory profit lower than it would otherwise have been. Because of this, we think Capinfo's underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! And one can definitely find a positive in the fact that it made a profit this year, despite losing money 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. So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Capinfo at this point in time. When we did our research, we found 2 warning signs for Capinfo (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that we believe deserve your full attention.
Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Capinfo's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. 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 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.