Why Oil Refineries' (TLV:ORL) Shaky Earnings Are Just The Beginning Of Its Problems

The subdued market reaction suggests that Oil Refineries Ltd.'s (TLV:ORL) recent earnings didn't contain any surprises. However, we believe that investors should be aware of some underlying factors which may be of concern.

Check out our latest analysis for Oil Refineries

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Importantly, our data indicates that Oil Refineries' profit received a boost of US$16m in unusual items, over the last year. We can't deny that higher profits generally leave us optimistic, but we'd prefer it if the profit were to be sustainable. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. 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).

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Oil Refineries.

Our Take On Oil Refineries' Profit Performance

Arguably, Oil Refineries' statutory earnings have been distorted by unusual items boosting profit. Therefore, it seems possible to us that Oil Refineries' true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. Sadly, its EPS was down over 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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. While conducting our analysis, we found that Oil Refineries has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Oil Refineries' 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.