Some May Be Optimistic About Nanfang Communication Holdings' (HKG:1617) Earnings

Nanfang Communication Holdings Limited's (HKG:1617) stock was strong despite it releasing a soft earnings report last week. However, we think the company is showing some signs that things are more promising than they seem.

See our latest analysis for Nanfang Communication Holdings

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand Nanfang Communication Holdings' profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by CN¥13m due to unusual items. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. In the twelve months to June 2024, Nanfang Communication Holdings had a big unusual items expense. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit look worse than its underlying earnings power.

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

Our Take On Nanfang Communication Holdings' Profit Performance

As we mentioned previously, the Nanfang Communication Holdings' profit was hampered by unusual items in the last year. Because of this, we think Nanfang Communication Holdings' underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! On the other hand, its EPS actually shrunk in the last twelve months. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company's potential, but there is plenty more to consider. If you'd like to know more about Nanfang Communication Holdings as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. To help with this, we've discovered 5 warning signs (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Nanfang Communication Holdings.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Nanfang Communication Holdings' 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 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.