Property & Building's (TLV:PTBL) Shareholders May Want To Dig Deeper Than Statutory Profit

Property & Building Corp. Ltd.'s (TLV:PTBL) robust recent earnings didn't do much to move the stock. However the statutory profit number doesn't tell the whole story, and we have found some factors which might be of concern to shareholders.

View our latest analysis for Property & Building

To understand the value of a company's earnings growth, it is imperative to consider any dilution of shareholders' interests. As it happens, Property & Building issued 17% more new shares over the last year. That means its earnings are split among a greater number of shares. To talk about net income, without noticing earnings per share, is to be distracted by the big numbers while ignoring the smaller numbers that talk to per share value. You can see a chart of Property & Building's EPS by clicking here.

A Look At The Impact Of Property & Building's Dilution on Its Earnings Per Share (EPS).

Property & Building was losing money three years ago. And even focusing only on the last twelve months, we don't have a meaningful growth rate because it made a loss a year ago, too. What we do know is that while it's great to see a profit over the last twelve months, that profit would have been better, on a per share basis, if the company hadn't needed to issue shares. And so, you can see quite clearly that dilution is influencing shareholder earnings.

If Property & Building's EPS can grow over time then that drastically improves the chances of the share price moving in the same direction. But on the other hand, we'd be far less excited to learn profit (but not EPS) was improving. For the ordinary retail shareholder, EPS is a great measure to check your hypothetical "share" of the company's profit.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Property & Building.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Alongside that dilution, it's also important to note that Property & Building's profit suffered from unusual items, which reduced profit by ₪93m in the last twelve months. 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. If Property & Building doesn't see those unusual expenses repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to increase over the coming year.

Our Take On Property & Building's Profit Performance

To sum it all up, Property & Building took a hit from unusual items which pushed its profit down; without that, it would have made more money. But unfortunately the dilution means that shareholders now own a smaller proportion of the company (assuming they maintained the same number of shares). That will weigh on earnings per share, even if it is not reflected in net income. Given the contrasting considerations, we don't have a strong view as to whether Property & Building's profits are an apt reflection of its underlying potential for profit. If you'd like to know more about Property & Building as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for Property & Building (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) and we strongly recommend you look at them before investing.

Our examination of Property & Building has focussed on certain factors that can make its earnings look better than they are. 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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