We Think That There Are More Issues For Shaniv Paper Industry (TLV:SHAN) Than Just Sluggish Earnings

A lackluster earnings announcement from Shaniv Paper Industry Ltd (TLV:SHAN) last week didn't sink the stock price. However, we believe that investors should be aware of some underlying factors which may be of concern.

Check out our latest analysis for Shaniv Paper Industry

Examining Cashflow Against Shaniv Paper Industry's Earnings

As finance nerds would already know, the accrual ratio from cashflow is a key measure for assessing how well a company's free cash flow (FCF) matches its profit. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.

As a result, a negative accrual ratio is a positive for the company, and a positive accrual ratio is a negative. While it's not a problem to have a positive accrual ratio, indicating a certain level of non-cash profits, a high accrual ratio is arguably a bad thing, because it indicates paper profits are not matched by cash flow. Notably, there is some academic evidence that suggests that a high accrual ratio is a bad sign for near-term profits, generally speaking.

For the year to December 2021, Shaniv Paper Industry had an accrual ratio of 0.25. Unfortunately, that means its free cash flow fell significantly short of its reported profits. Even though it reported a profit of ₪38.7m, a look at free cash flow indicates it actually burnt through ₪72m in the last year. We saw that FCF was ₪37m a year ago though, so Shaniv Paper Industry has at least been able to generate positive FCF in the past.

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

Our Take On Shaniv Paper Industry's Profit Performance

Shaniv Paper Industry didn't convert much of its profit to free cash flow in the last year, which some investors may consider rather suboptimal. Therefore, it seems possible to us that Shaniv Paper Industry's true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. But the good news is that its EPS growth over the last three years has been very impressive. 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. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. While conducting our analysis, we found that Shaniv Paper Industry 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 Shaniv Paper Industry's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good sign of a quality business. While it might take a little research on your behalf, you may find this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying to be useful.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.